A report by IACD and Carnegie UK Trust Appreciating Assets Tara O’Leary, Ingrid Burkett and Kate Braithwaite International Association for Community Development (IACD)

The International Association for Community Development led the production of this report. IACD has more than 1300 members in over 70 countries, supported by a small core staff team based in Scotland and a very active voluntary Board. The Board comprises leaders in the community development field in Europe, Asia, Oceania, North America and Africa. IACD is a Scottish registered charity (SC 036090). Visit us online at www.iacdglobal.org

‘Appreciating Assets’ authors are Tara O’Leary, Ingrid Burkett and Kate Braithwaite with assistance from Deborah Fry and members of the IACD Inquiry Group. Nick Wilding gave invaluable feedback, Geoff Brown copy-edited the text and Kirsty Tait managed production.

This report is the outcome of a nine-month inquiry process, initiated at an international event in London in November 2009. The event focused on the applicability, challenges and potential of utilising asset-based approaches in an UK/Irish context. Participants included members of a Community of Practice sponsored by Carnegie UK Trust1, and extended to a total of over sixty international assets practitioners who are members of the IACD. The inquiry findings were explored and deepened at IACD’s annual global conference that took place in New Orleans in July 2010 and feedback from this and other UK peer reviews informed our final draft.

Published by Carnegie UK Trust Andrew Carnegie House Pittencrieff Street Dunfermline Fife KY12 8AW www.carnegieuktrust.org.uk

Scottish charity SC 012799 operating in the UK and Ireland

Illustration Credits: Ingrid Burkett, Figures 3, 4, 5, 6,7, 8, 9,12, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 24, plus all case study, letter, resources etc. icons; Chay Nicholson Eskimo Designs, Figure 1; James Munro, Figures 10 and 13 (cover)

Published February 2011 ISBN: 978-0-900259-75-3

Designed by Falconbury, February 2011

This report and other Carnegie UK Trust reports are available for free download from our website, www.carnegieuktrust.org.uk. If you would like further information about our work please contact us on 01383 721445 or [email protected]

Disclaimer: The views presented here do not necessarily reflect the views of the Carnegie UK Trust and IACD

1 FierySpirits Community of Practice is an action research – based programme of learning and exchange for activists, professionals and policy makers who are building resilient, rural communities. It seeks to catalyse systemic social change by creating opportunities for social innovators to connect, challenge and learn from each other and their own practice. Contents 1

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ocesses: Key Types and Questions ocesses: Key Types om Victoria, Australia om Inspiring Communities, Aoteora, New Zealand om Inspiring Communities, ferent Types of Knowledge Types ferent ypes of Landlord Case Study: Community Land T Examples of Community Ownership of T Letter fr Key Community Considerations for Asset Ownership and Management Key Community Considerations for Evaluating Leasing as an Asset Option T Ownership Pr Place: The next Frontier Case Study: Renew Newcastle New South W Building Community and Community Buildings: Asset T Ownership and Management Case Study: The Isle of Eigg- Community Buy-out of Private Land Asset Mapping and Beyond and asset transfer Carts and Horses: Organising service delivery justice so that they deliver social and ecological Zealand Case Study: Central Otago District, New Case Study: Genuine Pr Letter from Canada Letter from pr New ways of working with complex, ‘wicked’ Case Study: Hill Holt W Dif Deficit vs Asset W Anatomy of and Appr Characteristics of the Appr Sit With Sitting in the Gap and Finding Others to Case Study Fiery Spirits Community of Practice Case Study Brecon and Old Hill Estates Falmouth Case Study Brecon Letter fr Case Study Tipperary Institute, Ir Seeing Beyond Needs: Appreciating Assets: Place Appreciating Appreciating Asset: Politics Appreciating Identifying Assets Assets: People Appreciating Appreciating Assets - Global Roots Assets - Global Appreciating to Assets Approaches Background Contents Assets to Appreciating Introduction It would be extreme folly to substitute this for Introduction to an approach that, in the name of asset-based Appreciating Assets community development, places ‘asset transfer’ and community ownership of land and buildings Carnegie UK Trust and IACD have developed a centre stage, without paying due attention to keen interest in approaches to rural development the need to consider how people matter in any Introduction that acknowledge the things that communities have regeneration plans. rather than the things they lack. The potential of We take a broad view of assets, appreciating this philosophy was first discussed in Carnegie’s above all, the potential of individuals and their ‘Charter for Rural Communities’, published in communities. This report explores the full range of 20072. The Trust also supported a range of partner assets – tangible and intangible, available within organisations that conducted action research every place and develops a challenging and into aspects of the sustainable management of alternative approach to the building of sustainable community assets. This report draws in part upon communities. We do not have all the answers: these findings3. this is work in progress but emerging from the The political and social context in which we collaborative inquiry that is at the heart of this consider the well being of communities is publication, there are ideas for practitioners and undergoing a period of radical change in light policy makers to reflect upon. of what the New Economics Foundation calls the ‘triple crunch’4. The credit and debt crises, soaring food and energy prices, peak oil and the growing impacts of climate change are converging and forcing a fundamental rethink of how we live our lives. The credit-fuelled boom years are over and the bullish reliance on expensive capital regeneration projects to change the fortunes of neglected communities has diminished. During the past two years we have seen the collapse of regeneration schemes that have been predicated on ever-rising property prices; schemes that have developed buildings at the expense of people.

2 Introduction We are aware of the vast amount of international experience of asset-based community development from which to learn. With its global membership, IACD is particularly well placed to build our understanding of the asset ‘lens’ in community development work5 in diverse contexts around the world. Its members have shared critical insights and concerns about potential pitfalls of these approaches.

The framing of UK and Irish work in an international context is crucial in an increasingly globalised world. Importantly, the asset-based approach is an approach that happens without outside intervention in communities around the world. The more formal approach has its roots in many participatory traditions stretching back many decades. Indeed as information and practitioners move around the world, these approaches continue to evolve and cross-fertilise with each other to adapt to local context. In the world map below we show some of the global roots of asset-based community development. This is just a selection. Please free to add your own!

2 Carnegie UK Trust (2007) Charter for Rural Communities 3 Carnegie UK Trust (2009) Manifesto for Rural Communities 4 The Triple Crunch Blog http://neftriplecrunch.wordpress.com 5 For example, in the USA & Latin America (e.g. Flora, Marinez, Adams) & Canada (e.g. Mathie & Cunningham, Patterson), Australia (Burkett, Smeaton) and Africa (Ruhunda, Karanga etc), Critical contributions & insight Craig, Murdoch, Barr etc).

3 4 Global Roots of the Appreciating Assets Approach Figure 1: their economic and their economic social Canada’s improve Maritimes around based communities to help small, resource- development rural community and microfinance co-operatives, 30’s, adult blending education, in developed the 1920’s and Movement, The Antigonish Canada Movement Antigonish East coast, Canada www.abcdinstitute.org communities. sustainable to build stronger, more strengths existing community draws development upon community Asset-based ABCD Development, Community Based Asset Chicago, USA www.coady.stfx.ca circumstances. socdev/unpfii http://www.un.org/esa/ to local communities the UN. and is working at all levels from has evolved in decades recent movement of people indigenous as A peoples. distinct global the of protection their rights related to common problems around the world share groups of peoples indigenous the various differences, their Despite cultural Movement Indigenous Self-Determination Mexico Appreciating Assets-GlobalRoots in the individual and in the the in and individual the in both factors, positive are strengths fields, work social and health in used First Approaches Based Strengths now USA, Kentucky antisocial behaviour etc. behaviour antisocial health, to poor lead can which factors risk from protection offer and development healthy support which environment, global case.edu/intro/whatisai.cfm http://appreciativeinquiry. & their organisations. for search the best in people about the co-evolutionary is Inquiry Appreciative Inquiry Appreciative Cleveland, USA www.paulofreire.org and Global North South. work development in the a of bedrock community His education. work has become or to approaches ‘banking’ of critique didactic standard, Freire, a developed radical poor in people Paulo Brazil, While working for literacy among Theology Liberation Freire Paulo Brazil empowering the empowering poor to build of Focus on development. at their priorities the centre (DfID), SLA and people places Development for International UK Department government’s in Developed the 1990’s, by the Approach (SLA) Sustainable Livelihoods UK London, www.eldis.org environments. institutional and develop policy/ enabling to access increase assets, on their own opportunities,

Global Roots of the Appreciating Assets Approach 5 EndogenousDevelopment /Developmentwithinfrom Endogenousdevelopmentis peoples’localown on based developmentandcriteria of material,accounttheir into takes spiritualwellbeing.socialand www.compasnet.org RightsBasedApproaches approachbasedrights to A frameworka developmentis norms,integratesthethat principles,standardsand internationalhumanof goals andplans the into systemrights development.processesof

India GhandianPhilosophy creationthe towards Works nonviolentpolitical,a of socialordereconomicand nonviolentstruggle. Key by politicaleconomic& are values decentralisation,cooperation, valuevoluntary thesimplicity, self-reliance,life,rural of conservation.equality& www.gandhiserve.org

resonates strongly with theresonates stronglywith Freire. Paulo expressedideas by Africa South TransformationTrainingfor by 1980’s, the Developedin TimmelSallyand Hope Ann communityresourcefor a as basedapproachisworkers. This Paulo of work the largelyon experiencecombinedwithFriere developmentonworking of is Africa.ruralIt projectsin and UK the in usedwidely now world. acrossthe Tanzania, East Africa SelfReliance Movement egalitarianismof goalsandThe human-centreddevelopment characterizepoliticalNyerere’s educationalideology& which work. It moves professionalsmoves It work. “on-tap”. to “on-top” from andEmphasisesvalues the facilitator. thedisposition of workRobert theChambers and DevelopmentInstitutefor of key. are Studies(IDS) www.ids.org A family of approachesthatof family A Pauloinsights from on draw OrlandoFals-Borda’s& Friere’s RapidRuralAppraisal (RRA)/ ParticipatoryRuralAppraisal (PRA) Background to Question

Assets Approaches Why is the ‘what you haven’t got’ approach so Across different fields, from regeneration and deeply ingrained in some community development to health, a new language organisations? of ‘assets’ is helping practitioners find new ways of tackling old issues6. The 2007 Quirk Review7 How do we inspire new kinds of practice? was a landmark publication that helped to open up this territory, investigating community development How do we foster innovation and approaches to asset transfer. More recently, there experimentation and share this with has been an avalanche of publications from a wide other practitioners? range of organisations, especially umbrella bodies such as the Development Trusts Association whose Why has public policy been so focused ‘Bearing Fruit’8 report looked at the opportunities on deficits?’ and challenges of transferring tangible assets such as land and buildings to community control. Carnegie’s Manifesto for Rural Communities (2009)9 advocated that ‘assets’ took inspiration from The Principles underpinning the international best practice such as that championed ‘Appreciating Assets’ report by the Coady Institute in Nova Scotia10. Regional Contributors to this publication share a ‘people- community development networks are also actively centred’ approach that insists that everyone is exploring this territory.11 unique, and has a unique contribution to make to This report is intended to complement all this their organisation or community: an appreciative approach that recognises the intrinsic worth in Background to the Appreciating Assets Approach to the Appreciating Background work by showcasing international, UK and Irish experience of ‘appreciating assets’. We will see people and places. that practice in the UK and Ireland can stand tall In accountancy, the term ‘appreciating assets’ alongside international examples. Throughout, we is used to refer to those assets that have the share questions that practitioners across many prospect of growing in value over the long term, contexts seem to be grappling with. Our intention such as a stand of forest or a property12. In this is that these questions can offer readers pause for document, we agree that all assets – including reflection around key points that contributors to this people – are best seen for their potential to grow report have identified as being important. in the long term13. We are in agreement with David Boyle14 and others, who argue for new systems of accounting, which find ways to measure what matters most to people, rather than accounting practices that emphasise growth above everything else. With a growing interest in ‘Appreciating Assets’, we believe that civil society needs to be very engaged in a debate about the opportunities and pit-falls of this relatively new approach.

6 For example, The Marmot Review into Health Inequality in Britain 10 Coady Institute (2009) From Clients to Citizens: Deepening the called for an asset based approach to the co-production of positive Practice of Asset-Based and Citizen-Led Development, http://coady. health outcomes; Jane Foot, Glass Half Full (2010) published by stfx.ca/work/abcd/forum/ (accessed on the 15th Nov 2010) I&DeA has built on national and international ABCD experiences 11 YHCDN (2010) ‘Making the Difference’ conference report to argue for the use of asset-based community development in http://www.yhcdn.net/ (accessed on the 15th Nov 2010) addressing health inequalities 12 7 YHCDN (2010) ‘Making the Difference’ conference report Quirk (2007) Making Assets Work, Community Management http://www.yhcdn.net/ (accessed on the 15th Nov 2010) and Ownership of Assets, Department for Communities and 13 Local Government http://www.communities.gov.uk/publications/ NEF have suggested that assets are ‘a useful or valuable thing or communities/makingassetswork (accessed on 15th November 2010) person’ 14 8 Development Trusts Association (2008) ‘Bearing Fruit Good Practice Boyle, D & Harris, M. (2010) ‘ The Challenge of Co-Production’, in asset-based rural community development’ How equal partnerships between professionals and the public are 6 crucial to improving public services NEF & NESTA 9 Carnegie Trust (2010) A Manifesto for Rural Communities Background to the Appreciating Assets Approach In recent times there has been a trend in equating Figure 2: The 7 Capitals Framework the development of land and buildings with the term asset-based development. However we Capital Definition believe strongly that it is people, and not buildings Financial Financial capital plays that are the core asset of communities. It is the an important role in the skills of people who will see that projects can be economy, enabling other accomplished. It is people who can learn to see types of capital to be owned and traded opportunities where before all seemed lost. In these discussions we need to ensure a balance between Built Fixed assets which assets we can see – ‘tangible’ assets – and those we facilitate the livelihood or well-being of the can’t see but which are often crucial to the well-being community of people and communities – ‘intangible’ assets. Social Features of social This involves learning how to unlock the potential organisation such as in ‘intangible’ assets. It might be that you don’t see networks, norms of trust that facilitate co-operation the ‘intangible’ unless it disappears one day; or that for mutual benefit, includes an intangible asset (such as someone’s enthusiasm) a sub-set of spiritual only becomes visible when it’s connected with capital (that form of social something we can more easily see (like permission capital that links to religion/ to develop an under-used plot of land). spirituality) Bonding, bridging social 15 The 7 capitals framework is a tried and tested capital way to help categorise assets and make intangible assets more visible. ‘Capitals’ is a term often used Human People’s health, knowledge, skills and interchangeably with assets. It simply means those motivation. Enhancing assets that are available for use as building blocks human capital can in the creation of further assets. Every community, be achieved through however rural, isolated, or poor, has resources within education and training it. When those resources, or assets, are invested to Natural Landscape and any stock create new resources, they become capital16: or flow of energy and material that produces The Seven Capitals framework helps identify the goods and services. role that intangible assets such as human and social Resources – renewable and non-renewable capital can play in turning buildings and financial materials. capital into assets that the community can build upon.17 Investing in one capital has the potential Cultural Shaping how we see the world, what we take for to strengthen all the capitals but may also lead to granted and what we value other capitals becoming depleted. Political The ability of a community to influence the distribution and use of resources

15 Cornelia Butler Flora, Mary Emery, Susan Fey and Corry Bregendahl, 17 Gutierrez-Montes, I. Emery, M. & Fernandez-Baca, E. 2009 “The ‘Community Capitals: A tool for Evaluating Strategic Interventions and Sustainable Livelihoods Approach and the Community Capitals Projects.’ North Central Regional Center for Rural Development, Iowa Framework: The Importance of System-Level Approaches to State University Community Change Efforts” Community Development, 1944-7485, 16 Flora, Flora & Fey (2004) Using Community Capitals to Develop Volume 40, Issue 2, 2009, Pages 106 – 113 Assets for Positive Community Change

7 8 Background to the Appreciating Assets Approach Figure 3: s¬ s¬ s¬ s¬ following questions: or privateones.Forexample,thinkaboutthe about whethertheseare really communityassets, You mightthendevelopsometeststothinkmore in theplacewhere youlive. potential assets–tangibleandintangible of waystoidentifyassets.Notedownsomethe The ‘sevencapitals’frameworkisoneofanumber Identifying Assets Question Etc. Community Festival Woods walk School SportsGym Jim thePostman Tennis club Village hall Local currency Community Assets Example ofPotential exchanged inthecommunity? Is itatalentorskillthatcanbeutilised together? Does ithelptobringcommunitymembers community? Is itopen/availabletoeveryoneinthe to communitylife? Is itaresource thatcanbeusedoraddsvalue AssetsChecklist life? to community or addsvalue can beused resource that Is ita ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ community? everyone inthe available to Is itopen/ together? members community Does itbring ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ community? in the exchanged be utilisedor skill thatcan Is itatalentor ✓ ✓ Background to the Appreciating Assets Approach Appreciating Assets as well as s¬ What we do has a ripple effect into other areas—communities are like eco-systems, (not instead of) Recognising Needs when you build up or focus on one thing it affects many other areas of the community. The best asset-based practice is that which builds s¬ Strong and resilient communities try to on a solid appreciation that there are historic achieve balance by working to build on all reasons why some communities have poorer of their assets. access to services, fewer choices, and are (for example) more likely to suffer environmental pollution. This is not a regressive “pull themselves The ‘Appreciating Assets’ up by their bootstraps” approach: Report now explores three important themes: “The asset approach does not replace investment in improving services or tackling 1. People the structural causes of … inequality. The This section reviews the central role of people aim is to achieve a better balance between and community and other intangible assets in the service delivery and community building.”18 successful development of place. We suggest key An assets approach to community development will skills that those involved in asset-based community not, on its own, solve inequality within and between development should develop. communities – but it can help communities to develop greater confidence and a stronger political 2. Politics voice with which to engage the political system At the local level, what are the politics of an asset- in addressing structural causes of injustice and based approach? What are some implications of their roots in an unfair and unsustainable global the strengths based approach on how decisions are economic system.19 However, at a local level, an made, and who makes them? This chapter opens asset-based approach can bring hope as well as up questions on these themes. having a “mitigating effect on the structural and social determinants of ill-health and inequality-poor 3. Place housing, low wages, lack of jobs.”20 In this section we explore policy and practical aspects of asset transfer. In particular we cover Question recent developments in UK asset transfer policy relating to community management, ownership As well as identifying and or control of tangible assets such as land and building on current strengths, buildings. Access to local assets such as land could my community appreciate and buildings can be gained through a spectrum better the ways in which history, privilege of routes from leasing to outright ownership. We and struggle have shaped it? explore how physical assets in communities need to be built from and be supported by intangible assets. What international links can I make in my work? The important messages are that: s¬ Intangible community assets are just as important as what we can see and feel in the community.

18 Foot, J. (2010) A Glass Half Full, IDeA, p.6 19 Murray, R. (2009) Danger and Opportunity: Crisis and the New Social Economy, NESTA. 20 Foot, J. (2010) A Glass Half Full, p.13 IDeA 9 10 People this perspective. communities canbegintoseethemselvesfrom the community, butoftenpeoplelivinginthese community thennotonlycanthese‘become’ If westartwiththeneedsanddeficitsofa drain on the system. passive recipients of services and at worst a bit of a such areas have often viewed residents at best as process. Even those working in the public sector in who live there or even involving the people in the rather than changing the circumstances of the people been on replacing old buildings with new buildings situation. Too often the main thrust of regeneration has to regenerate these communities and change their others. The focus then moves to what can be done how ‘deprived’ this community is in comparison to often begin with reference to the data that evidences output areas. Discussions about such communities regularly spoken of ‘sink’ estates and bottom quartile The regeneration literature of recent times has Releasing thecapacityofpeople and being able to take a long view. rapidly changing social and environmental context networking, ways of learning from experience in a Essential aspects of this shift involve new forms of face in shifting personal or organisational cultures. approach and look at the new challenges that people behaviours neededinthisnew‘ Secondly, we explore the skills, attitudes and can playinreleasing it. every communityandtherole thatgoodfacilitators future, realising thelatentcapacitythatlieswithin communities candevelopashared visionfortheir distinct butrelated angles.Thefirstconsidershow In thissectionwelookatthesubjectfrom two A People ppreciating Assets We are inthelowestquintileof Welcome toourcommunity! What willyou see inourcommunity? most deprivedcommunities intheregion. average teenagepregnancies, oneofthe unemployment, highcrimerates, above educational achievement,have 19% isaboutthecapacityofpeople. Appreciating Assets ’ deprived areas inBritain,the estatewasblightedby Falmouth as‘Beirut’.Judgedtobeoneofthemost had cometobeknowntheothercommunitiesin The storystartswithestatesthat Estates, Falmouth Beacon andOldHill Case Study: Here istheirstory. to bebuiltfrom scratch. She understood that capacity does not always need local peoplethatwere justwaitingtobereleased. based view, recognising thetalentsandskillsof since 1972,andhercolleaguestookanasset- mould. HazelStuteley, whohasbeenahealthvisitor that wasfrequently labelledinthisway, broke this A communitynurse,basedinapartofCornwall out ofcontrolforlongenough’. Ihadbeen watchingitspiral was tosurvive. that changemusthappenifthiscommunity her family’s distress,Ivowedthenandthere and socialproblems.SeeingRebecca had manysimilarfamilieswithmultiplehealth from post-nataldepression.Mycaseload victim ofdomesticviolenceandsuffering visitor toherhome.HerMumwasafrequent straw. AsfamilyHealthVisitor, Iwasaregular by thugsfromtheestate,thiswasfinal tortoise, whichhadrecentlybeenbutchered in mourningforherfriend’s petrabbitand she wasdeeplytraumatisedbythis.Already old thenandalthoughphysicallyunhurt, device.Shewas11years of anincendiary the familycarignitefollowingplanting both, literallyforRebecca;shewitnessed ‘The flashpointcamesimultaneouslyforus violent crime,drugdealingandintimidation. People From the outset it was recognised that community heating. An old butcher’s shop was converted into involvement would be essential if the estate was to a Resource Centre, offering courses and advice, as be turned around. Twenty tenants were identified well as being an informal drop-in centre and hub for as having the skills to engage their peers and were communication of news about the estate. Another invited to work in partnership with the statutory disused shop was converted into the Beacon Care agencies. Of these, five agreed to participate. Centre. Resourced by the local housing department, they The investment of time and relatively small amounts received training in forming and maintaining a of money in the area has yielded tangible benefits: constituted committee. They went on to produce the crime rate on the estate has halved, with 87% of a hand delivered newsletter, along with a ‘one to those in the community now saying they feel safe. one’ chat to all households informing residents of The number of children on the child protection register their plans for the estate. A series of increasingly has fallen from 23 to 4. Children’s exam results have well-attended meetings for residents were held, improved dramatically: among 10 and 11-year-old which were often stormy. But this storminess was boys, numbers achieving level four in national tests interpreted as a good sign by the health visitors, at key stage two have doubled. The number of who were convinced that, while a seemingly childhood accidents has also fallen 50%. 21 apathetic community can achieve little or nothing, an angry community has a potential energy that can be harnessed for positive effects. These meetings led the community to conclude that the main Today, more and more professionals, notably problems affecting their health were crime, poor from the health sector, are seeing the potential of housing, and unemployment, together with the an asset based approach to their work (see for historical failure of the statutory agencies to address example Foot22).They are discovering what many these issues. Meetings resulted in the foundation pioneering communities already know: places can of the tenant and resident led Beacon Community be transformed by ‘people-power’. Regeneration Partnership in January 1997. The There is a vital first step. For community activity to Partnership began meeting monthly, as it still does be created and sustained, the skills, capacity and to this day. commitment of local people within the community The most significant aspect of the regeneration must be recognised and channelled towards shared process on the Beacon and Old Hill estate was goals. People from all walks of life, all backgrounds that, from the outset, there was no initial funding, and a wide age spectrum need to be included. no hierarchy, no targets, no business plan, only a And for people to be included, to feel that they can shared vision of what the community wanted to be, participate, their strengths, skills and assets need to rather than an obsession with what it had to do. All be recognised and valued. this was supported by a little pump priming funding Assets can be seen as anything of value. Intangible and the flexible use of public employee time. ‘people’ assets can include such things as It was later that the residents won Capital Challenge experiences, personal strengths, stories, cultural funding, matched with a further funding from traditions, skills and knowledge. Carrick District Council for the installation of central

21 http://www.sensorytrust.org.uk/news/newsletters/ newsletter_3/beacon.html (accessed on the 16th Nov 2010) 22 Foot, (2010), A Glass Half Full, IDeA 11 They can also be individual assets, or they can be A Letter from assets held in relationship, or indeed collectively, that is, held by multiple people in the community. Aoteara, New Zealand

People Tangible assets are those that are often most Inspiring Communities, the recognised or valued in communities, but in reality organisation I work for, was it is the intangible assets that will ultimately shape established in 2008 to learn about what can be achieved in a community. how community-led development could work in Figure 5: Intangible assets New Zealand and to foster that approach. An important priority for us is learning how tangible and Individual Relational Collective lasting change happens. We are learning together Assets Assets Assets through a small number of initiatives. It is clear that essential ingredients include: Skills, Networks, Stories: knowledge, relationships, traditions, s¬ Having an explicit intention and vision leadership partnerships, cultures, s¬ Being adaptable in ‘the doing’ capacities, friendships, institutions, s¬ Having many sectors working together – experiences, kinships, norms, business, community groups, residents, personalities, group ties, collective government, and local councils – to create what we have, associations. experiences. opportunities what we can s¬ Time and perseverance bring to the There is an intentional focus on communities group. of ‘place’: streets, neighbourhoods and local communities, rather than issues. It means rather “For tangible assets to be created and than being clients or recipients of services, local sustained there has to be a strong base residents are becoming authors of their own and of the intangibles, which flow from the their community’s development. There is an obvious human assets within a community. Where overlap here with the asset-based approach. Even I believe we get things wrong (and waste in this short time we are already noticing tangible considerable amount of money) is when we changes. For example Waitara’s shared vision, and implement from the build / financial level combined action, has seen crime reduced. Opotiki’s from outside the people in communities.”23 vision and ‘reaching out’ means their aquaculture development is now supported by the Bay of Plenty region and through partnering with China.

Community-Led Development continues to grow across Aotearoa/New Zealand. It has many faces: it may be creating economic development and jobs in Opotiki; it may be neighbours being better connected in Taita; or the community coming together to solve the disease of debt in Porirua. It has huge potential to transform communities, street by street.

23 Hugh McLean, participant in the Fiery Spirits Inquiry into Asset-Based Approaches online group.

12 People 13 We seem to have more seem We .” Inspiring Communities are partnering to develop a Inspiring Communities are a create national campaign in 2011. The aim is to on getting weekend for all New Zealanders to focus General to know their neighbours. John McCarthy, neighbourhoods Manager of LIFEWISE, says strong the antidote to social workers – are – not more emerging social issues: “ How and more social workers visiting communities. problems many social workers will it take till all our lies in are solved? I think the sustainable solution neighbourhoods convinced that a strong sum it up… we’re To level is the DNA that forms at a street relationship communities. resilient Mary Jane Rivers Inspiring Communities Aoteora, New Zealand It’s this community-driven intent, rather than specific intent, rather than this community-driven It’s – different Start that makes Great inputs or outputs Barnardos provides At its simplest, and successful. operational funds a venue, some practical support: community development and an experienced more What is less ‘countable’ but manager. the community helping are powerful, is that they its own development. see its own vision, drive activities that the community does fostering It’s such as the community garden, collectively, Hutt City with courses and a project parenting Council on a new park. at the moment is Nelson’s My favourite example a brilliant example of a Victory Village.They are The community being the author of its own destiny. of the KiwiBank Community this year’s won project Another major event on the calendar category. Year national Neighbours Day for is New Zealand’s and celebration. LIFEWISE, the Methodist Mission, ”. the Network belongs to the agency working “with” communities rather than “for” (or doing “to”) them. Barnardos began there by asking what the community wanted, before After knocking planning which services to offer. on 1200 doors, they found no new services or wanted – the community actually were programmes wanted help to be better connected. Development Network; and the Community Development Network; and the Community network, which includes TimeCurrencies Banking. of an exemplifies the power in Taita Start Great We know that people all around New Zealand that people all around know We tips and examples of community exchanging are and trying out’. building – ‘borrowing involved A number of networks and agencies are in Community-Led Development and fostering Examples include: Transition communities. resilient are than 50 NZ towns (at last count more Towns involved); the emerging NZ Community Economic communities and groups; we are just one part of it communities and groups; we are just one Northland, the Bay of Plenty, Southland, Taranaki, and active. interested Nelson, and Otago also are The reality was that many Auckland communities was that many Auckland The reality missing out on the working in isolation and were people Now, other. each off opportunity to leverage government, a range of local and central from community organisations, locality projects, can individuals, business, funders, and researchers and learn. come together to talk, share Although a range ‘Inspiring Communities’ is co-hosted by of other partners – “ Auckland is proof of this. The Auckland Community- of this. The Auckland is proof (ACLDN), established Led Development Network people involved. 2009, now has 500 in March It seems that the time to bring people together was people together was the time to bring It seems that anticipated: we moved faster than right and things nationwide interest was already there quickly found national and last twelve months regional and in the has grown in Community-Led Development interest exponentially. 14 People 24 processes? What is good practise in facilitating these this to become a reality? to happen in your community in order for where this has occurred? What would need communities or stories from elsewhere Are there examples of this from your own participate in creating a vision for change? to a point where people engage and extend beyond the traditional consultations evolve in the future? In what ways can this which their town or village might local priorities and the way in How can local people determine Question communities candothatthemselves.” don’t needtogethungupindefiningassets, in whichtocreateavisionforchange. community hasitsownuniquesetofassets assets andvision.Ibelievethatevery community memberstodefinetheirown approaches needtocreatespacefor “I thinkthatstrongcommunitydevelopment releasing capacity within the community. what the assets could be; the focus should be on facilitators not drivers and not try to second-guess People working for outside agencies should act as which to validate a pre-prepared external analysis. or a simplistic ‘quick fix’. Nor is it a mechanism by An approach that appreciates assets is not a mantra into communities to urge them to ‘plan their futures’. professionals, still wearing their ‘specialist’ hats, came however it would be criminal if wave after wave of We set great store by community-led planning – from whichplansforchangeproceed. and valued,fortheseideastoformthebasis people toarticulatetheseideas,havethemheard develop. Thechallengeistocreate opportunitiesfor what are thekey‘assets’theywish/needto Each communitywillhavetheirownideasabout assets availabletothatcommunityattime. people tounderstandandbuildontherangeof A keypartofasset-basedapproaches isforlocal

Asset-Based Approaches onlinegroup. T ed Smeaton, participant in the Fiery Spirits Inquiry into

“ 24 We 26 25 illustrates thispointwell. processes. AnIrishcasestudy from Tipperary do nothavealongtraditionofparticipativeplanning signs ofprogress inthisarea, evenincontextsthat but outward andfuture facing.There are promising of acommunitymusttherefore belocallyrooted economic andenvironmental changes.Theplans a widercontextsoastoanticipatefuture social, Community-led planningmustalsobesetwithin s¬ s¬ and culture neededtoachieve thischange. Hazel Stuteleyoutlinestheshiftinprofessional skills appreciative inquiryorparticipativeappraisal. surveys, communitycelebrations,assetmapping, of techniquesthatcanbedeployed:listening people haveaboutaplace.There isawholerange must buildupontheuniqueknowledgethatlocal by thegroup,facilitators, withorwithoutexternal For capacitytobereleased theideasdeveloped logical wayofachievingthis. is shared andgenuinecommunity-ledplanningisa way ofworkingisthatpoweranddecision-making involvement. Anessentialrequirement ofournew already madedecisionswhentheyseekcommunity rural communities,isthatdistantauthoritieshave Often theexperienceoflocalpeople,especiallyin s¬ s¬ s¬

Empowerment LeverageProject Practice Model; ‘From apathy to anger to positive energy’ HealthStuteley are out-linedinthe‘resource’ sectionattheendofthisbooklet. Some keysour Believe intheircapacitytoleadchange Listen totheresidents improvement Sustain theinitiativethrough continuous Deliver smallwinsquickly to services Connect theresidents toeach otherand , H.&Parish,R.(2010) ces for more information on these participative tools 26

The Emergence of the H.E.L.P. 25 People 15

The active involvement of elected members The active involvement of Council officials as expert advisers vision for the town The establishment of an agreed structures The establishment of representative sectoral issues for identifying and addressing and business such as education, environment development Community participation and community validation at all stages It is important to have clear objectives and and objectives clear have to important is It s¬ s¬ s¬ s¬ services and the provision of additional housing. services and the provision ‘ done.’ milestones – what gets measured gets (Community activist) During an evaluation in 2007, the Ferbane that the IAP process community reported the developed a sense of community among Ferbane to the attention of and brought residents the County council and other agencies, creating people potential. Local of Ferbane’s an awareness process: identified the critical success factors in the group The establishment of a locally representative and the positive partnership to oversee the process that developed a State agency which of funding from Availability and was scaling down operations in the area a community compensation package provided Independent, external facilitation s¬ Ferbane is a small town (population of 1,300) in a small town (population Ferbane is Midlands. Tipperary in the Irish Institute Offaly, West Area of an Integrated the preparation facilitated The the period 2000/01. during area Plan for the partnership between was undertaken as a process of Ferbane, County Council, the community Offaly Partnership Offaly West elected representatives, The issues that caused and local business interests. decline, the loss of most concern population were numbers and in employee employment/reduction Ferbane resultant investment. The lack of inward these and out to address Development Plan set other issues. of several undertaken has community Ferbane The the including plan the in out laid they initiatives the park, technology and business a of development school a facility, child-care a of development the existing of updating the programme, amalgamation transport local of establishment the ventures, business social, economic and environmental needs in the social, economic and environmental plans that anyone can plan. IAP creates local area in place are structures understand and ensures for implementation of plans once they have been fosters ongoing the IAP process drawn up. Lastly, communication between all those involved. participatory way, engaging with all sectors of the participatory way, to community and takes an integrated approach sustainable planning; seeking a balance between We as Councillors could use the information as Councillors We presented in an IAP prepared by the community as a rich source of information for us to assist us in designing and feeding into the Local Area Plan on behalf of our constituents. The Councillors could be ‘champions’ of the IAP. (Local Politician) IAP commits to working in an inclusive and strengths of everyone. strengths how rural areas should develop and few mechanisms mechanisms few and develop should areas rural how these tensions. existed to resolve Area Integrated that experience this from is It to people local enables IAP born. was (IAP) Planning a implement to and priorities formulate views, collect model a is IAP area. geographical defined a for plan most communities involving planning, collaborative of policymakers alongside plans area local by affected the recognises that partnership a in officials local and breakdown in trust at many levels. Much of this was was this of Much levels. many at trust in breakdown planners, among vision shared a of lack a to due about communities and politicians policy-makers, Planning (IAP). (IAP). Planning for responsible are Authorities Local Ireland, In each for plans development local strategic developing to requirement a also is There county. and town city, increase to and stage early an at input public invite planning the in transparency and participation are planning to relating issues this, Despite process. clear a is there and areas rural in problems causing has been commissioned by various local planning planning local various by commissioned been has assist to Ireland in groups community and authorities has work This plans. local good up drawing in them Area Integrated called framework a into evolved Case Study: Case Study: Institute, Tipperary Ireland Institute Tipperary 2000, Since A key message from this case study is that an “In interviews, practitioners stressed authentic partnership of local people and officials repeatedly that co-production must remain came together to address the issues that were an end in itself rather than a means to

People important to the people of Ferbane. Increasingly, other ends”.28 public sector professionals are coming to an The institutional and behavioural shifts required understanding that better outcomes are achieved to implement co-production cannot be by working together with members of the underestimated. People all over the world, and the community – a process called co-production. rural UK and Ireland are no exception, are extremely Co-production is a special kind of partnership sensitive to tokenism and false promises so that works equally well for service agencies and relationships of trust need to be built. This process community. Co-production works in the world of is two ways, from communities towards agencies money, which pays for professional services, and and funders and from funders, agencies and the non-monetary ‘economy’ where individuals government to communities. and communities produce, distribute and consume We have found some inspiring examples of services not for money, but as an expression of their effective co-production on the Governance capacities and needs. Co-production acknowledges International website www.govint.org. However we hidden and previously undervalued human and recognise that this is an area in need of innovation social assets inherent in our communities. Co- as new solutions are found to the need to deliver production works on four principles. 27 cost effective services. Some of these ideas are s¬ Everyone (professionals and community discussed in our sister publication- members) has something to offer ‘A Shareholder’s Guide to Rural Services.’ s¬ Feeling useful is a basic human need and can be transformative; there is an emphasis on what The Anatomy of an Appreciating Assets people can do rather on the things they cannot do Worker s¬ Relationships work through face to face contact s¬ Schemes have to be local; people only contribute An ‘Appreciating Assets’ approach is not about because they know who will benefit. adopting only a ‘rose-coloured glasses’ view of the s¬ Discussion of co-production as a policy tool world, or ignoring people’s struggles and needs. for more effective delivery of public services Rather, by emphasizing the starting point of building has been growing in a number of countries, for on people’s assets, skills and strengths, people are several years now. However, since the election then able to define and address their own needs of the UK Coalition government and the coming over time - rather than being continually defined of the Big Society approach, co-production has by them. emerged as one of the key routes for public agencies wishing to deliver ‘more for less’ at a In this way, effective assets workers are able to time of increasing demand and fiscal tightening. change the way we see, define and engage with communities: Whilst there is great opportunity here for new partnerships to evolve along the lines of the case s¬ We start with people rather than data; study in Falmouth or the examples given later in our s¬ We build from people’s strengths, stories, assets politics chapter, there are dangers in being led by a and skills rather than seeing people only through cost-cutting agenda. the prism of needs; s¬ We work in partnership and work out together This concern is illustrated in early research on co- how to understand local issues and how we can production for the Joseph Rowntree Foundation: work on resolving them.

27 Boyle, D. 2005) Sustainability and social assets: the potential of time 28 Boyle, D. Clark, S. & Burns, S. (2006) Findings: Informing Change banks and co-production, NEF Co-production by people outside paid employment, Joseph Rowntree Foundation 16 People Figure 6: Seeing beyond needs

Since people are at the heart of the ‘Appreciating Professional knowledge must work with the shared Assets’ approach, one of the challenges is to community knowledge to better connect and ensure that there is a shared understanding of uncover people, places and local economies and the assets, knowledge and skills of all the people local talents. Whereas ‘professional’ or ‘expert’ ‘around the table’. Without this, power can often knowledge may be expressed through data, written remain with the socially valued roles of councillor, reports, public speeches or assessments, this may doctor or grant holder. not be the way in which people in communities express their individual or shared knowledge. For professionals this involves losing the ‘need to be needed’. It involves believing in the people whose Connecting with people and taking time to uncover communities are the ‘target group’. It involves their knowledge and to release their capacities new ways of seeing professional skills as being in requires skills but it also requires imagination – partnership with, and sitting along side, the skills as shared community knowledge is not always that reside, often overlooked and underutilised in expressed in the same ‘rational’ or ‘disembodied’ communities members, groups and associations. ways that professional knowledge is!

“If co-production is to become more mainstream, the role of professional staff needs to shift from being fixers who focus on problems to becoming catalysts who focus on abilities.”29

29 Boyle, D. Clark, S. & Burns, S. (2006) Findings: Informing Change Co-production by people outside paid employment ,Joseph Rowntree Foundation 17 18 People Figure 8: process ofthisproject are listedinFigure 8below. creative newtechniquesemerging. Someofthemostcreative wayswe’veuncovered inthe centred ondialogueandunderstanding localknowledge.Howeverthere are also somevery its capacity. Ofcoursemanyofthetraditionalcommunitydevelopmenttechniquesare There are manywaysinwhichwecantapintotheknowledgeofcommunitiesandrelease Figure 7: listening forums Storytelling and Digital Stories Performance 1,000 words: and Comics Pictures tell Community and arts Professional orExpertKnowledge

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Community Community Stories ). People 19 we focusing on starting here? Knowing why it is that we are engaging here, in this way and these through means. ideology, Values, ideals, goals, expectations. we doing Why are this, and why are focus on here and here on focus now and what will we do? Knowing what needs to be done at a given moment in order to achieve what it is that needs to be done. and Tools techniques; e.g. you can use mapping tools, work group techniques. What is it that going to we are

. 30 principles; guidelines and – practice of body methodology. we How are going about doing what it is that needs to be done? Knowing how to to how Knowing having – engage a and process a action for pathway practical, is that and shareable you what is actually do. Relationships; process Pluto Press Development Development , IDeA, p.13; Chambers, R. (2005) (2005) R. Chambers, p.13; IDeA, , ’ approach requires rethinking of what is included in rethinking requires ’ approach Analysis Method Technique Ideology ‘Know-about’ ‘Know-how’ ‘Know-what’ ‘Know-why’ data, information, knowledge. What do we know about what needs to be done and who can help? Knowing about the community – information, data, knowledge, maps Maps, plans, evaluations, IDS; Kaplan, A. (2002) A Glass Half Full Types of knowledge Types Appreciating Assets Foot, J. (2010) Ideas for Development Practitioners and Social Process: Artists of the Invisible

Definition knowledge is applied Key question Ways the Ways Knowledge Type of Type equally important. 9: Figure We can see that tools and analysis are only part of the picture. Knowing only part of the picture. that tools and analysis are can see We with communities is how and why we engage, partner and co-produce 30 An ‘ for good quality training is a role There knowledge development. professional most focus only on the tools, where if we However, and capacity building. of the we do not get to the significant determinant training courses begin, behaviours that the invisible values, attitudes and quality of training outcomes: significant influence on the successful implementations of have a much more (Foot 2010, Chambers 2005, Kaplan 2002) a policy. How do you work with communities to release capacity? with communities to release How do you work for your work? techniques inspire creative What do the above Question between the difference you describe How would release? building and capacity capacity do you know of for acknowledging What other ways local knowledge? and releasing Training requires critical reflection on what Question professionals bring to the work: their intangible assets, and what helps and hinders in developing

People ‘Appreciating Assets’ practice. Learning in Can I relate to and add to this anatomy (picture, right)? this context is not about reading textbooks or If I am honest are there things in downloading modules – it is about engaged, this anatomy that I struggle with or that are reflective and collegiate learning in which difficult in the context in which I work? participants are not afraid to give and receive How could these qualities be fostered rigorous feedback! amongst professionals and how would training need to change or develop to “It is fundamental for us to know that incorporate these qualities? without certain qualities or virtues, such as a generous loving heart, respect At root, an ‘Appreciating Assets’ approach for others, tolerance, humility, a joyful requires a change of mindset – from one that is disposition, love of life, openness to what fundamentally built on and influenced by deficit is new, a disposition to welcome change, thinking, towards an approach that is built on perseverance in the struggle, a refusal assets, as is illustrated in the table below. of determinism, a spirit of hope, and

openness to justice, progressive (community Figure 10: Deficit vs asset ways of thinking development) is not possible. It is something that the merely scientific, technical mind Where we are Where an asset cannot accomplish” now – deficit way of thinking (Paulo Freire, 1998; p108)31 approaches takes us Start with deficiencies Start with the assets in What are the qualities that are needed if we are to and needs in the the community adopt an ‘Appreciating Assets’ approach? Figure community, often as 11, opposite provides a starting point for exploring defined by external data some of these qualities. about the community. Respond to problems Identify opportunities and strengths Provide services to Invest in people as users citizens Emphasise the role of Emphasise the role of agencies civil society Focus on individuals Focus on communities/ neighbourhoods and the common good See people as clients See people as citizens and consumers and co-producers with receiving services something to offer Treat people as Help people take passive and done-to control of their lives Fix people Support people to develop their potential Implement See people as the programmes as the answer answer

31 Freire, P. (1998) Pedagogy of Freedom: ethics, democracy, and civic courage, Rowman & Littlefield

20 People 21 Steady of least the people rather than to the path resistance. holding onto the course of being swayed determination, Compassion belief in people that is built on a Trust in people’s in people’s Trust skills and assets. and people power. power. people and other. Ability to tap into networks and build networks and build unusual and unlikely Well developed Well active listening. alliances in and beyond the community, and link the community, others into the network! others to hear each others to hear each listening capacities- listening capacities- Hearing and helping Hearing and helping the people. Worker Ability to stay rooted in Ability to stay rooted the community and not keep moving in and out: staying and standing with Appreciating that Appreciating catalyzing change! joining our skills with joining our skills with as workers we work in as workers their skills and thereby their skills and thereby partnership with people, partnership with people, Appreciating Assets Appreciating pavements and move beyond the offce and Capacity to pound the out into the community Anatomy of an Anatomy the way! Powers of Fearlessness in the Capacity to ‘do’, but together with others. and analysing face of obstacles and communities Ability to speak note the seen Action learning observation to to see assets in and help others community, see community, and unseen in a up when necessary and to remain quiet and to remain reaching out and working reaching to share this fearlessness. to share situations together, situations together, when necessary too! and refection along and refection with others not for others... face of confict... and ability ability to stand strong in the ability to stand strong Figure 11: Figure 22 People Figure 12: factors, characteristicofasset-basedapproaches thatneedtobebuiltintoourstructures andsystems: Building onthe‘Where assetsthinkingtakesus’columnofthetableabove,wecandrawoutfollowingkey pa su i Es wo im R s g de ar an focuses on A Fo take act i capa i peop st su cele A r ha the the are own Lo nsp n the im in V peop ae li make ne rel othe gr hi peop view the athe ec p pp A and bu ‘ or i mem need to suppo de be so go ba m sent r rts. ea; ap po al s anunde dden e wi ve engthen scri rki oup ccesses r cu cal ped at c w i r wi dd lace- eate dent ofthe ogn

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People Question ‘Gappers’ are people who live in the gap between big systems and institutions on the one hand, and communities on the other. They may get their pay Which of these factors are cheque from a hospital or school system, but their currently supported by our practice and understanding and spirit is somehow organisations and structures? in the community.32 Which are difficult for organisations and systems? What needs to change Gappers can have a tremendous influence on in our organisations in order for these the systems in which they work, especially when characteristics to flourish? How might they are connected up with each other. They this happen? Where can or could the understand the importance of knowledge transfer change begin? and networking to the success of an ‘Appreciating Assets’ approach. Sitting in the Gap…and Finding others to sit with! Social Networks As we suggested at the beginning of this chapter, Although the term social networking is becoming the ‘Appreciating Assets’ approach requires us to more associated with virtual communication forums develop appropriate skills which include new forms such as FaceBook, Twitter or Ning sites such as of networking to help us learn from experience in a Fiery Spirits, they also describe the social bonds rapidly changing social and environmental context. that we make with other people in our everyday life. At an individual level, utilising asset-based The importance of these social networks cannot be approaches is challenging but we still have a over-emphasised because they can affect factors measure of control over the process. What about as dramatic as how long we live and what chances changing the environments and organisations in we have to succeed in life. Social networks can which we work? We have met many professionals be considered to be a primary route to building who wish to do things differently but who are the ‘bridging’ social capital that is essential in constrained by institutional attitudes that are rooted improving our life chances and our resilience in in the past. How can these individuals find the times of crisis. Social networks are also contexts courage to challenge outdated practices? where skills, behaviour and attitudes are developed and transmitted across the network. One striking More and more people are finding support through piece of information arising from recent research on networks of other professionals and practitioners, social marketing at the Royal Society of Arts was maybe from very different disciplines, but all that ‘familiar strangers’ like postmen and dustmen willing to share experiences. We know these as appear to be under-utilised community resources; Communities of Practice. and more people recognise and find value in their postman than their local councillor. Another startling Communities of Practice within and between finding from a recent review into health inequalities sectors are important in maintaining support and in the UK reveals that momentum for changes in values and skills that are required when deploying an Appreciating Assets approach. At the heart of these Communities of Practice are people known as ‘gappers’.

32 Kretzmann in , Mathie A. & Cunningham, G. (2002), From Clients to Citizens: Asset-Based Community Development as a Strategy For Community-Driven Development, Occasional Paper No 4, Coady Institute 23 “Individuals who are socially isolated are experience. The Community of Practice (CoP) is between two and five times more likely than an action research programme35 of learning and those who have strong social ties to die exchange for activists, professionals and policy

People prematurely. Social networks have a larger makers who are building resilient rural communities. impact on the risk of mortality than on the risk of developing disease, that is, it is not The aim of the CoP is to support social change by so much that social networks stop you from providing space and opportunities for people to getting ill, but that they help you recover connect, challenge and learn from each other at when you do get ill.” face-to-face events and virtually via the fieryspirits. com social networking website. Underpinning this is Marmot (2010)33 an approach to rural development, which believes Routes to tackling social isolation are many and that communities can build on their unique range varied. Thousands of communities across the of physical and human assets. To do this, the country hold regular community events to renew Community of Practice: their social ‘glue’. A high profile example of this s¬ Publicises good practice case studies, drawing is the ‘Big Lunch’,34 an annual, get-together upon inspiring stories from across the UK, Ireland with neighbours on 18th July. Although it began and beyond. as a ‘wild seed’ of the Eden project, there s¬ Acts as ‘resource facilitators’ to develop are now Big Lunches held up and down the partnerships with like-minded organisations to country and supporters include the Big Lottery pioneer these approaches. and the Department of Communities and Local s¬ Uses convening power to open up dialogue, Government. sometimes at the highest levels.

Community rituals such as those created by This initiative is an example of Carnegie UK Sense of Place in Cornwall (see case study in our Trust’s pioneering approach to philanthropy, ‘Places’ chapter), bring all parts of the communities exercising convening power to create lively together and increase understanding of a shared spaces where people exchange hard-won past, present and future. In Ireland and Scotland, experiences, prototype the sustainable rural the traditional ceilidh is an important avenue for communities of the future, inspire policy, and valuing and celebrating the talents of all sections of connect with wider movements for global the community. justice and sustainability Nick Wilding, Carnegie UK Trust

Case Study: The Community of Practice has around a thousand Learning from members who focus on key themes. It is not just a experience: Fiery website: relationships are sustained through face- to-face events. This platform provided the means Spirits Community of by which this inquiry into ‘Appreciating Assets’ was Practice conducted.

The Fiery Spirits Community of Practice is about supporting community innovation by enabling and Learn More: facilitating the transfer of knowledge, skills and Nick Wilding, Carnegie UK Trust http://www.fieryspirits.com

33 Marmot Review, 2010, Fairer Society, Healthy Lives. Report available on www.marmotreview.org/ (accessed November 15, 2010) 34 www.thebiglunch.com/ (accessed November 15, 2010) 35 Following Reason and Bradbury (2001), Handbook of Action Research, London. Sage Publications.

24 People 25 in maintaining support and momentum in maintaining support and momentum for the changes in values and skills that required. are worker above highlights the range of worker above highlights and behaviours skills, values professional required. New forms of networking, such as Communities of Practice, operating important within and between sectors are crucial to the well-being of people and crucial to the well-being assets. communities – ‘intangible’ Assets’ approach An ‘Appreciating of what is included rethinking requires development. knowledge in professional Assets’ ‘Appreciating The Anatomy of the We need to ensure a balance between a need to ensure We assets – and can see – ‘tangible’ assets we often are see but which those we can’t s¬ s¬ Key points of this chapter points Key s¬ 26 Politics excluded, whobenefitsanddoesn’t, whether included inthedecision-makingprocess andwhois co-operation existsinthecommunity?Whois What levelofcollaboration,partnershipand style ormodelofleadershipinthecommunity? for whomare theymade?Whatisthedominant decisions are made,whomakesthedecisionsand by answeringthefollowingquestions.Whatkindof about powerandleadershipcanbemapped of resources. Decision-makingisfundamentally of tangibleassetsandinfluencethedistribution making processes reflect theownershipandcontrol for changeandsustainability. Intangibledecision community worksandaboutitsresilience, capacity be veryrevealing abouthow a structures andprocesses can communities, decision-making In myworkwithruralandcoastal Letter from Canada forgotten intherushtoreform. social andecologicaljusticegoalsmightnotbe assets approaches, including questionsofhow economic crisismightimpactonthepoliticsof Canada. We thenconsider howthecurrent board member, KeithCossey, from NovaScotia, We beginwitha‘letterfrom Canada’,from IACD outcomes together. collaborate toachievegooddecisionsandbetter heard; whosetsagendas;andalsohowpeoplecan always aboutpolitics–whosevoicesget We recognise thatasset-basedapproaches are democratic decisionmakingwithincommunities. how assetspractitionersworktocreate andsustain asset-based approach. Inthischapterwelookat professionals andotherswhoare workingwithan a shiftintheskills,attitudesandbehavioursof ‘capacity release’ aswellcapacitybuildingand Assets’ approach. We outlinedtheneedfor the centralityof‘People’in‘Appreciating In thelastsectionofreport weaddressed Politics processes (orlackthereof) inacommunityis Identifying thedecision-makingstructures and some obviousandothersnotsoobvious. different typesofcommunitypowerstructures, distribution ofcommunityresources. There are decisions are madeontheownership,useand understanding powerinthecommunityandhow In myview, appreciating politicalassetsisabout prosper andbesustainableinthelongrun. intangible assetsavailabletothemisonethatwill decisions andusethefullrangeoftangible community thatisempowered tomakeitsown “masters oftheirowndestiny”.Inotherwords, a said thatpeopleandcommunitiesshouldbe of theAntigonishCo-operativeMovement,once Moses Coady, afamousNovaScotianandfounder the community? and minorityopinionsmanagedresolved in by designorchance?Howare conflictingvalues economy spiralled into a slow decline. and traditional community leadership. The local rural to find jobs elsewhere including the corporate elite jobs and services. Many people left the community and were unwilling or unable to continue to provide and private sectors did not see a future for Joggins in 1686. When the mines closed in 1958, the public thriving coal-mining town from its humble beginnings Bay of Fundy coast of Nova Scotia grew into a Joggins (area population of 1,334 in 2006) on the of people power. The rural coastal community of Allow me to share a good example of the emergence skills training,advisoryandtechnicalsupport. collaborative andparticipativeprocesses, andother good qualityinformation,leadershipdevelopment, development andmanagerialexpertise,accessto comes inmanyformssuchasplanning,research, Support forcommunity-baseddecisionmaking voice andgainmore leverage indecision-making. together collaborativelyingroups tohaveastronger community life.Peopleare empowered byworking policy developmentprocess, theydisengagefrom feel thattheylackthepowertobeheard inthe creating positivecommunity change.Whenpeople an importantkeytofosteringpeoplepowerand Politics 27 ’ approach. In Canada, In Canada, ’ approach. Appreciating Assets Appreciating Today, the consequences of the banking crisis and the Today, of visible in the threat the subsequent bailout are by rapidly unemployment and the insecurity inflicted in public sector spending implemented reductions of massive organisational change and the prospect of public life. in many areas This letter is a hopeful celebration of the power of is a hopeful celebration This letter an ‘ society), British and Irish across (as has happened sector interests public and private community, the massive heart attack from still reeling are economic system in 2008. sustained by our global for assets new political challenges This presents practitioners to address. age of tempest, Speaking in another Abraham Lincoln said: quiet past are “The dogmas of the stormy present. The inadequate to the and we occasion is piled high with difficulty, case is must rise with the occasion. As our so we must think anew and act anew.” new, in trapped be not to citizens US to call a was His on stay to how clearly see to but ideology, outdated difficult times. course building a better society through Nova Scotia, Canada a success story of collaboration, partnership and decision-making. shared Keith Cossey, physical assets but represent so much more to so much more physical assets but represent the local community in terms of building capacity to make their own decisions, to plan, research, Rather develop and manage their own affairs. lamenting the coal that they lost, the than forever tapped into of Joggins, to their credit, residents their potential and developed the full range of their people, place and political assets. They took and turnedcontrol a story of economic decline into of land including a green, energy efficient building, of land including a green, facilities, trails, research centre, interpretive of course, great and shops. They are, restaurant Development Association, scientists and the political political the and scientists Association, Development of levels three of representatives administrative and UNESCO a declared site the have to government secured also They 2008. in Site Heritage World of the site. partners and funding for the development the Joggins Fossil Institute is a community- Today organization owned and managed, non-profit heritage which oversees a world-class, $10 million (1702 acres) tourism destination on 689 hectares over 10 years to build strong internal and external external and internal strong build to years 10 over They collaboration. foster to and relationships Economic Regional Cumberland the with partnered be the site of the finest example in the world of the the of world the in example finest the of site the be of ecosystems and environment tropical terrestrial history. Earth’s the of Age (Coal) Carboniferous the reptiles amphibians, leaves, trunks, tree Fossil footprints their and dinosaurs) the of (ancestors and sight plain in are years million 315 back dating kilometres 15 for face cliff weathered the off falling Joggins of community The beach. the along assets intangible their on hard worked and persisted fossils off the beach for decades and, through through and, decades for beach the off fossils the understand to came research, and discussion to discovered was Joggins had. they what of value The remaining local people struggled for a long time time long a for struggled people local remaining The to 1990s mid the in together came eventually but They action. of course collaborative a on decide their in future their had alone they that realized power the had and backyard their in indeed hands, collected people Local it. about something do to Question Health Complexity Group, Connecting In what ways are you Politics Communities (C2) engaging with or hearing of new ways of thinking and project: new ways acting in response to current political, of working with economic and environmental challenges? How do you think community-based complex, ‘wicked’ problems approaches need to change in response to Cossey’s letter described how the Joggins Fossil these challenges? Institute is now a major community enterprise – Are there things we should hold on and its success hints at the potential that social to? Are there new things we should be enterprise models generally have in addressing considering? ‘wicked’ problems. In the South West of the UK at Part of the new political thinking involves a new the Peninsula Medical School, the C2 group have generation of ‘wicked’ problems, which are more pioneered an assets process and methodology complex, tangled and fast moving than those faced aimed at strengthening community life in the in the past. Today, there are many understandings poorest wards in the poorest county in England. of and approaches to building ‘assets’. As practice The C2 team are showing that frontline practitioners develops, it becomes clearer that asset-based working ‘with’ not ‘on’ the residents they are there approaches are complex – they involve building to support can achieve transformational outcomes connections between stakeholders who may in health and social care, against overwhelming never have talked together before; they involve, as odds. At the heart of the methodology is a seven- Lincoln advocated, being prepared to inquire into step model designed to help local people move ‘stuck’ ways of thinking, as well as standing firm ‘From Isolation to Transformation’.38 on abiding and underpinning values. We live in a time when simple sound-bite answers are no longer In Step Three, groups of residents host a ‘listening satisfactory. This is a time of complex, ‘wicked’ event’ to hear from other residents what the key problems, having multiple causes and therefore issues are and produce a report on identified issues, multiple possible approaches to taking action, and which are fed back to attendee residents within ten that do not necessarily respond to classical rational days. Commitment is established for a resident-led, analysis but require the ‘fuzzy logic’ of many people multi-agency partnership to tackle issues. Exchange collaborating together to solve instead (Rittel and visits are undertaken to meet communities who Webber,36; Horn and Weber37). Examples of ‘wicked already successfully self-manage. problems’ include intergenerational poverty, violence C2 is addressing the complex politics of addressing and crime in a community, rural decline, childhood areas of multiple deprivation with a long history obesity, climate change, and terrorism. No one of failed attempts to address inter-generational organisation can address them on their own. inequity. It is doing this by bringing agencies and local people together.

Word of C2’s success has spread, and the programme is now being piloted in a number of other communities in England through the ‘Health Empowerment Leverage Project’ 39, 40.

36 Rittel, Horst, and Melvin Webber (1973) ‘Dilemmas in a General 38 Hazel Stuteley, Connecting Communities (‘C2’), Health Complexity Theory of Planning’, pp. 155–169, Policy Sciences, Vol. 4, Elsevier Group, Peninsula Medical School, University of Exeter Scientific Publishing Company, Inc., Amsterdam 39 Hazel Stuteley and Richard Parish (2010) The Emergence of the 37 Horn & Webber (2007), New Tools for Resolving Wicked Problems, H.E.L.P. Practice model: ‘From apathy to anger to positive energy’, MacroVU(r), Inc. and Strategy Kinetics, LLC Health Empowerment Leverage Project 40 www.healthempowermentgroup.org.uk

28 Politics 29 In a time of public sector cuts, and an end In a time of public sector cuts, and an end community initiatives are of ‘grants’ culture, on earning reliant income. Even increasingly enable still available, they rarely are grants where the administrative and other organisations to recoup This situation has left many community costs. core sized organisations (particularly small to medium community organisations), struggling. However, in are, ownership and social enterprise models contrast, taking off. Question Question other What could initiatives community-based of learn the experiences from there this model are the C2 work? Within Is replication replicable? things that are initiatives possible? of community-based What learning alternatives to exist can you see What potentials replication? community visits or exchanges? from how about more reveals Our next case study community leaders can dedicated and inspiring possible change the way people think about what’s local or desirable. This, too, is a way of transforming way to make politics. Sometimes, the most effective of the debate is to change the nature a difference having. that people are ). Their slogan slogan Their ). www.tr14ers.co.uk/ Since 2002, Hill Holt Wood has rapidly evolved into a community controlled charity and social enterprise has rapidly evolved into a community controlled Since 2002, Hill Holt Wood community of 10,000 people. In 2010 it will turn of £500,000, employing serving a surrounding over in excess businesses, councils, and constantly developing new partnerships with local community groups, over 20 staff, the employed through schools and universities. Since 2009 a significant number of young people have been itself to be flexible, dynamic and Jobs Fund in partnership with the local council. Hill Holt has proven Future thriving as a result. are inspirational for many visitors. The young unemployed people and the social enterprise They moved into a caravan in the wood and began to nurse it back to health. Soon, they established a social They moved into a caravan in the wood and began to nurse it back to health. Soon, the wood as an exciting venue for alternative training for young people enterprise, which recast education and education. mainstream excluded from Hill Holt Wood woodland was in Hillholt in 1995, the 35-acre Lowthrop When bought by Nigel and Karen potential, decline. It would usually have been viewed as a piece of land with limited income of the majority of the quality timber by due to a damaged drainage system and the removal others saw trouble. saw potential where Nigel and Karen owners. However, the previous where we live is part of who we are and that we can where we live is part of who we are and that be proud of our town and ourselves. “ summarises an approach that puts dance at the the at dance puts that approach an summarises whole the for future the changing of vision a of heart to Fife visited group the 2010, Summer In community. Scotland. in programme similar of seeds the sow help said tutors dance meant, name the what asked When very comes from the simple, the name “It’s used to be embarrassed to postcode TR14. We learnt that say we come from Camborne but we’ve the TR14ers dance group, based in Camborne, Camborne, in based group, dance TR14ers the Cornwall (see Dance” Through Community ”Transforming easily planned or controlled, and tend to arise more more arise to tend and controlled, or planned easily of enthusiasm and enjoyment natural peoples’ from heavy a than with engaged are they opportunities the place. distant in committee by agreed plan’ ‘action solutions universal or big that discovering are We things getting with help than rather hinder often can bigger be can fun and trust enthusiasm, done: motivators of local action!” is initiative effect’ ‘butterfly a of example good A how small and sometimes seemingly unrelated unrelated seemingly sometimes and small how bigger have can community the of part one in actions be can’t effects These system. whole the on impacts The cluster of ‘C2’ initiatives across the South West West South the across initiatives ‘C2’ of cluster The approaches based asset how illustrates England of Their UK. the in established well becoming are be can problems complex that shows success simple things keeping) (and starting by addressed describes effect’ ‘butterfly The simplistic!). not (but This short story of Hill Holt Wood’s development data about issues when it may make sense just to date reveals valuable lessons about how a wide to go ahead and take action, and learn from it. range of assets, including the often untapped Often the data about wicked problems tells us

Politics potential of young people, can rapidly allow a social about the effects of the problem – where it occurs, enterprise to achieve remarkable outcomes. An how many people are affected, how many times it important factor in Hill Holt’s success has been the occurs. But even mountains of this ‘objective’ data leadership offered by its founders. Consummate – depersonalised, apolitical, un-contextual – won’t networkers, advocates, and visionaries, Nigel and necessarily make a difference on the ground, in Karen (since joined by many others working in communities and in people’s lives. the Hill Holt team) demonstrate what asset-based It is not that data is negative – rather, an politics looks like in practice. Uncompromisingly ‘Appreciating Assets’ approach considers it holding to the vision they set, but always able to be important to develop ‘data-in-action’ rather than opportunistic when support is offered, they embody producing data before action or data after action. the sense of hope that their work might prove an One of the key tools for gathering ‘data-in-action’ inspiration to others. within an ‘Appreciating Assets’ approach is mapping. Today, the Hill Holt Wood staff are often invited This involves communities themselves gathering and to talk about their work. Feted as a national sharing data about the assets of their community. exemplar of sustainable development, the initiative When communities actively participate in creating demonstrates how social, environmental and maps of assets this can be an important and helpful economic goals can be achieved by thinking part of initiating relationships and beginning to work outside of traditional boundaries. together to create positive futures. Such maps can The future looks rosy for Hill Holt Wood – but can tell everyone what assets (physical, human, natural) we be sure that the model is sustainable? Will are present in our communities. They can give savage public sector cuts reduce important sources us a sense of what the connections are between of income, or will there be more opportunities these assets and what further connections could emerging that counteract this possibility? be made. They can help us to see where we could focus our energies. Many of the radical new policies born of this time of political and economic change are based on small- However, mapping assets is not an end in itself scale successes in communities up and down the – it is merely a technique that can help to open country. The government is now calling for these opportunities for action and connection. They are models to be scaled-up, with considerable service helpful ways of collecting and collating data-in- delivery responsibilities. At the same time they insist action, and they can inform, stimulate and catalyse that communities and local people remain central action…however maps will not ultimately alter the to the effective delivery of these programmes. Can territory, only people working together will do that! stories like Hill Holt Wood, C2, and Joggins Fossil There are some key ways in which mapping can be Institute be scaled up, or do we also need to rethink best used as a ‘data-in-action’ technique so that it our ideas about what scaling-up involves? ignites action, informs and animates people not only Academics have discussed the political, economic to hear each others’ stories but to use these stories and ideological constraints involved in addressing to build stronger communities. These insights can questions like these (Horn and Weber, 2007,p. 6, also be used in relation to other community-based Chapman et al; 200941). Fewer people have asked ways to develop and utilise ‘data-in-action’. whether it makes sense to collect and analyse

41 Horn & Webber (2007), New Tools for Resolving Wicked Problems, MacroVU(r), Inc. and Strategy Kinetics, LLC; Chapman et al, (2009) Connecting the Dots, Demos 30 Politics 31

ning, not lear separate from it. The reference it. The reference adjoining explores one such methodology for evaluating how successful our actions have been. of the action and its generation is part community members and people involved in the intervention, and is that the ‘data’ is generated by concluded. Again, the important point here concluded. Again, the important point here consequences of interventions after they have consequences of interventions after they government structures, groups and institutions. government groups structures, This in turn can link asset maps to social network the potential maps – helping us to identify where within nodes of energy and innovation are and organisations in a and between groups community. and therefore can be used in various ways), ways), various in used be can therefore and just communities ‘on’ act to used be can maps can They communities. ‘with’ or ‘in’ as much as and decisions which through mechanisms become rather communities about made be can diagnoses the in not are that ways in communities, with than community the If approaches. asset-based of spirit how on agrees and map the makes map, the owns to likely more much is it then used, be to is map the community. that in potential catalytic a have be narrowed Asset mapping can sometimes assets and institutions on into marking physical this can be While a locality map of a community. physical and tangible helpful in identifying the that maps it is important assets of a community, the intangible assets also identify and articulate of communities as outlined in the 7 capitals framework. rather Asset mapping can be three-dimensional locating than simply flat. It can focus not only on the assets within a community but also exploring nested assets inside community organisations, Community-based ‘data-in-action’ methods Community-based ‘data-in-action’ methods can also be used to check the impacts or s¬ s¬ s¬ Asset Mapping and who will use / hold the map? Because and who will use / hold the map? Because political (i.e. they by their very nature, maps are, about people, about communities data capture Finding ways times and places to revisit the map Finding ways times and places to revisit so that the process, and mapping throughout on maps – “on our changes can be reflected social clubs – now initial map we identified three seven we know of”. are there – Mapping needs to generate some ownership mapping assets, for whose benefit we why are Turning a map into an evolving mural – leaving it a map into an evolving Turning the mapping workshop so in a public place after to; that it can be added their own maps to Inviting people to create than leaving ‘mapping’ to experts rather share, based on data they analyse and represent; progress, a part of the developmental process, process, a part of the developmental progress, of the representation striving to be an inclusive us to see how Maps can help change process. – and in this way changing over time things are enthusiasm and energy the keep to help can they in which maps can Ways up in a community. become alive include: Maps need to be ALIVE – they need to be able to be ALIVE – they Maps need people by added to, rearranged to be changed, static moments rather than being in a community throughout needs to continue in time. Mapping in a map is always a work so that the process s¬ 13: Figure s¬ s¬ s¬ s¬ Most Significant Question Change Methodology How would you describe the Politics (MSC): difference between ‘data-in- This is a story-based methodology use’ and other uses of data in that involves as many stakeholders in a change change processes? process as possible, and asks them to share stories Are there other examples of ‘data-in-use’ that capture what they think are the most significant or story based evaluation methods that changes that have resulted from a project or an you can think of that may be applicable in intervention. It was developed by Rick Davies and your work context? Jessica Dart, and has been used around the world We conclude this chapter by examining some of the as a methodology that is both participatory and bigger political issues at play, which either help or captures not just the ‘hard data’ about changes, hinder local assets practitioners. but also the ‘hard to capture data’ about changes at an intangible level – in peoples’ hearts and minds. People involved are participants at all stages Political Capital/Assets of the evaluation process – in developing and telling the stories that bring out their most significant “Political capital is the ability of a group to influence standards, regulations and changes; in analysing the collective stories to draw enforcement of those regulations that out patterns, common themes and divergences; determine the distribution of resources and and in sharing the overall results. In this way the ways they are used.” 42 people actually define their own indicators of what works, and use their own stories, experiences and ‘May you live in interesting times’ (a knowledge to share and analyse these stories. Chinese curse or an Irish blessing) There are many MSC resources available. Most are Although many community organisations are available on Jessica Dart’s website: struggling with financial sustainability, some groups www.clearhorizon.com.au/category/ do not have a well-developed understanding of why publication/msc-publications/ this is the case. Having some insight into global trends can help local people to make more sense of There is also a free guide to the methodology, their lives, and more ready to take action to improve written by its developers: wellbeing locally. www.mande.co.uk/docs/MSCGuide.pdf A key trend has been public service reform. Everyone will be aware of the growing emphasis on value for money, efficiency and accountability. Where there were once annual grants, there are now Service Level Agreements and an emphasis on outputs and outcomes of the work. This trend has impacted upon the sector in three ways:

42 Cornelia Butler Flora, author of the seven capitals framework, uses words such as ‘voice’ and ‘power’ and ‘influence’ in relation to political capital and points out that increased political capital can be shown in “People who share a vision for sustainable future being organised and working together. These people know and feel comfortable around powerful people as well as those who are often excluded. They make sustainability part of the political agenda.”

32 Politics 1 Governance: Third Sector organisations have Carts and Horses: organising been urged to borrow more ‘efficient’ working service delivery and asset transfer practices from private enterprise. Whilst this so that they deliver social and challenge can be helpful for some traditional charitable organisations, in many cases it ecological justice has tended to generate an over-dependence The squeeze on public sector funding streams on ‘box-ticking’ approaches to evaluation. is forcing a rapid assessment by councils and Impacts increasingly tend to be measured other bodies of the services that can be afforded. rather superficially rather than focusing on Heads of Departments are required to produce transformation, which is more difficult to quantify. service reviews, demonstrating where savings can be found. This has been the overwhelming 2 Practice: The advent of contractual relationships imperative. These managers have to juggle a between funders and providers has resulted in an number of questions: how can I best look after the increased emphasis on the provision of ‘essential interests of my staff team? Is my own job safe? Will services’ to communities at the expense of more we be working from a different location the other generalist support. Community development side of the county? How will the unions react to is now seen as one method amongst many to my plans? What are the knock-on effects of my achieve service and social capital outcomes. decision for these communities? It would be a very 3 Funding and Financing: This next period natural response to try and preserve as much of the represents a crucial moment for creating existing way of doing things but such is the scale of alternative visions and laying down strong the cuts that this might not be possible. There has practical and strategic foundations for asset- scarcely been time to consider how simultaneously based approaches. These may not be small services can cost less but be even better from changes. In discussing co-production, the Chair of the perspective of the residents but this is what is Tayside Health Board & former chief executive of required. Furthermore, the services that are needed Angus Council, commented at a recent event that in future may not look very like services today.

In this service review mix will be a range of physical “The direction of travel is now away from assets, from care homes to ferry boats, from Tourist service cuts towards whole-scale service Information Centres to libraries. The local papers 43 redesign” are full of reports that if these facilities are important If this redesign process is managed well, with to communities then the communities will have run communities and service users at the heart of them. This newspaper report, from Lancashire, is the process, and professionals with the skills, being repeated all across the UK and Ireland: knowledge and attributes to work as partners, then the time may present opportunities to throw off some of the stultifying and disabling aspects of current service provision and put local people in the driving seat. These are big ‘ifs’ however and there is a grave danger that a lack of the requisite facilitative skills coupled with professional rivalry and bureaucratic silos will continue present immense challenges.

43 Sandy Watson, ‘The current challenge and the response we need’ Presentation 21 September 2010 at Community Development: Now More Than Ever, Community Development Alliance Scotland (available to download) http://www. communitydevelopmentalliancescotland.org/newsEvents.asp (Accessed on 15 November 2010)

33 PUBLIC toilets, a popular As the decision-making process is so quick, the miniature “zoo” and a country commissioners of services may find it easier to park’s visitor centre have all contract with an established private sector provider.

Politics been earmarked for closure For example, if recycling is currently undertaken in the latest round of cuts by a multitude of small social enterprises it may announced by Town Hall chiefs. look like an expensive luxury when compared to a single contract with Shanks. In the decision-making Popular events such as the firework display and process, there needs to be an assessment of wider bonfire at Leverhulme Park and the Kite Festival benefits (environmental, social and economic) of at Moss Bank Park, which attracted thousands each solution. of visitors last year, also face the axe under the spending cuts, which could be implemented as In any case, communities the length and breadth of early as next April. the country are being asked to rise to this challenge – take these assets and services on (even though Almost 30 posts are at risk and all workers some of them may be loss-making and indeed a across Bolton Council’s neighbourhood services long-term liability). department yesterday started a 90-day consultation period over the impact of the cuts. Trying hard to preserve a service-delivery model based upon the way we have always done things Town Hall bosses say that if each of the proposals is probably not a good starting point. It is putting is implemented, the council will save more than the cart before the horse. It is difficult for creative £1.7 million over three years. thinking to take place when difficult decisions are The authority is being told to save 40 per cent of its being made in a hurry. But creative thinking is annual budget over four years by the government, exactly what is needed. Are we planning services as it aims to reduce the national deficit. for the future based upon a full appreciation of the assets – tangible and intangible – that we have at If the plans are approved in February next year, our disposal? every one of the borough’s public toilets would be closed, Animal World, at Moss Bank Park, and This is the dilemma – the timescale for financial cuts Rock Hall Visitor Centre, at Moses Gate Country and the time needed to put in place considered Park, would also close and there would be cuts to alternative arrangements (yet alone to incorporate the frequency of grass cutting, street cleaning and innovative solutions) are incompatible. The point routine inspection and maintenance of play areas, isn’t just to get community groups & individuals allotments, woodlands and flower beds. contracting and ‘doing things locally’; the point is to redesign services that improve wellbeing and are cost efficient.

There is considerable international experience in tackling these difficult service-delivery issues. For example, the World Bank44 has identified some of the obstacles that might be encountered when relating small-scale community service solutions to wider programmes.

44 World Bank, Scaling Up Local & Community Driven Development (LCDD): A Real World Guide to Its Theory and Practice. Edited by Hans P. Binswanger-Mkhize, Jacomina P. de Regt, and Stephen Spector 34 Politics 35 The

contd... dinary Because

nment Act 2002 included some major changes in what communities could now major changes in what communities could change expect of their district council. One such the was the need for councils to actively seek vision for their district. community’s Central Otago was undergoing an extraor Central Otago was undergoing transformation in tourism development and which highlighted the need population increase, the impacts of change and make it to address work for local people. The Local Gover

Council provided drive and vision to put this new Council provided To do this the council adopted what is called a To destination management approach. about essentially is management ‘Destination communities and cross agency co-operation in areas of planning and environmental management, provision of visitor information centres, management of infrastructure, marketing and site management. the tourism industry is complex, involving a mixture of private companies, local and central government and communities, there is a need to build and maintain effective working partnerships between these players if a sustainable future is to be achieved. notion of managing a destination calls for a whole-of-community approach.’ was used to harnessThe approach a guiding vision In Central Otago the District future. for the region’s Development Manager and former CEO of the Central Otago District Otago District Central Central Council, New Zealand Otago, easy to overestimate “It’s two to three years, but what you can do in can happen in ten.” underestimate what Otago District Council In 2004, the Central its top-down of exchanging began an approach bottom-up for a grassroots, management structure was two-fold: that they did it The reason approach. 1 2 Community Community

om These players have have players These

otal costs may be too high otal costs may professional cultures through on-the-ground on-the-ground through cultures professional experience can transform these difficulties. Services need to evolve to be able to take local context and priorities into account. groups may not be motivated to contribute contribute to motivated be not may groups professional of role the Shifting time. and finance changing by catalysts to fixers being from staff For co-production of services to work a range range a work to services of co-production For table a around normally not are who players of together. need to be brought the of success a make to incentives differential act may government of levels different delivery; as rivals rather than collaborators. technology and outside support, which are too technology and outside support, which are on a large scale. expensive to be replicated loss of a budget or staff status. Accountability and and Accountability status. staff or budget a of loss new why reason a as used be might issues legal should be rejected. service-delivery methods service delivery solutions Many innovative local inherently are These originated as pilot projects. have had because they difficult to replicate considerable investment in skills development, Vested interests and those who currently benefit benefit currently who those and interests Vested are quo status the – with comfortable are or – from a involves that change a embrace to unwilling often Adaptation to the local context may be missing Difficulties arising fr co-production T Institutional setting might be setting might Institutional to change hostile

4 3 2 1 community involvement in the design and delivery of of delivery and design the in involvement policy. community development social and economic authority local In our next case study from Aotearoa/New Zealand, Zealand, Aotearoa/New from study case next our and In social rapid of period a surrounding energy the more create to harnessed was change economic 36 Politics destination management More:Learn diligently executedcommunicationstrategy. stay onboard through acarefully considered and Otago, theyensure thatcouncillors are brought and support ofelectedofficialsisparamount.InCentral For theimpacttoextendapoliticallevel, provide theinfrastructure” one coginthemachineandistheretohelp Management alone.Thecouncilisonly One groupcan’tdoDestination communities, agenciesanddepartments. “It’s allaboutourcollaborationwith to initiateanddeveloptheirprojects. releases localknowledge and communitycapacity implement themare setin motion.Thisprocess recommendations are agreed andactionsto then usetheseplansasabasistoensure that Maori community, andeducation.Communities range oflocalissuessuchastransport,safety, a vision,actionandplanningdocumenton developed adetailedcommunityplancovering to 2013/14.Eacharea withintheregion also document, nowinitssecondedition,takingplans resulted isbothavisionandanaction-planning meetings. The‘CentralProspects’ documentthat to-door, pluscommunityworkshopsandpublic community listeningexercise carriedoutdoor- process wasundertaken.Thisincludeda they were going,alargecommunityengagement To understandwhatpeoplewantedandwhere that visit’. people wholivetherefirst...andthenthose ‘It’s aboutmanagingthedestinationfor local communitieswant. wasthedeliveryofwhat insist theirprimaryconcern approach intoaction.Askeystaff inthecouncilthey www.codc.govt.nz/facilities/

improvements inwidersociety. Howeverthisis Analysts oftenequaterisesinGDPwith effectiveness ofregional andnationaleconomies. policyandacoreof government measure of Product (GDP).Itisthekeymeasure oftheimpact is thecurrent dominanceofGross Domestic environmental impact,oneofthekeydifficulties In lookingatmeasures ofeconomic,social& policy outcomesare more difficulttodemonstrate. social andenvironmental impactandlonger-term contracted toathird partymeasures ofeconomic, a publicagencymightsaveifserviceisclosedor While itisrelatively easytoseehowmuchmoney important inmakingpartnershipwork. illustrates howimportantpublicleadershipis sights. Thecasestudyfrom Aotearoa/New Zealand the needtokeepimproved wellbeingfirmlyinour and serviceredesign andwestrongly emphasised In thesectionaboveweexplored co-production case studyfrom Canadaexplores thisissue. measuresdiscerning ofprogress. Thefollowing fiscal austerity, weclearlyneedtousesmarter, more us steeraprogressive courseduringthesetimesof move forward withsmarter measures thatwillhelp useful topublicagenciesandcommunities.To indicators whichmaybemore sophisticatedand there isagrowing bodyofworktolookatother has beentherefore beencalledintoquestionand The dominanceandeventheusefulnessofGDP more onenvironmentally damagingtechnologies. statistics rise.Italsogoesupifpeopleare spending non-desirables suchasprisonpopulationandcrime clearly notalwaysthecaseasGDPgoesupwhen Politics 37

In contract, real indicators of genuine progress can can progress genuine of indicators real contract, In landfills from waste of diversion of percentage the be curb to Access recycling. side kerb to access and than less from jumped Scotia Nova in recycling side was what changing By today. 99% to 1989 in 5% behaviour. change to possible was it measured, Learn More www.gpiatlantic.org have value; while sickness, crime, disasters, pollution pollution disasters, crime, sickness, while value; have gas, greenhouse in reductions addition, In costs. are seen all are footprint ecological and poverty, crime, equity. as is growing as progress, into the By incorporating ‘external’ costs directly the ‘full cost economic accounting structure, also help accounting’ mechanisms in the GPI can produce policymakers to identify investments that costs to society. lower social and environmental industries might Gambling, and other growth were costs governmentsocial less if support receive receive counted, and sustainable practices might The purpose of the Genuine encouragement. more Index is to simply shine the spotlight on Progress vital, critical evidence concealed and hidden in our of progress. measures conventional growth-based An inspiring example of GPI in action comes from on solid waste a community consultation process management. In Nova Scotia, the waste used to the kerb and be picked up every other day from it was Quite simply, was very little recycling. there that were the costs of waste pick-up and recycling being measured. progress in our growth measures, and do not count and do not measures, in our growth progress as assets, we improvement or their preservation signals to policy to send misleading will continue public alike. makers and of well- measures are What is urgently needed that explicitly and progress being, prosperity, the true assets that are value the non-material of our the strength basis of our wealth, including quality of our time, the communities, our free natural resources, the health of our environment, and our concern for others. When you measure potential to change behaviour. something, it has the visit a resourced Programme Rural Carnegie’s He Scotia. Nova from Colman Ron by UK the to alternative an on conferences national two at spoke a is (GPI) Index Progress Genuine The GDP. to and governments that tool measurement holistic costs real the for account to use can communities natural GPI, the In activity. economic of benefits and education and work, unpaid time, free health, wealth, “the count non-monetary and non-material assets, we discount and devalue them. What we effectively value in our central accounting and measure don’t sidelined in the mechanism will be effectively may pay pious public homage We policy arena. quality and to social and spiritual to environmental values, but if we count their degradation as The things we measure and count—quite literally— The things we measure If we do not tell us what we value as a society. GDP growth statistics were never meant to be statistics were GDP growth today. as they are of progress, used as a measure In fact, activities that degrade our quality of life, like crime, pollution, and addictive gambling, all make fish we sell and the The more the economy grow. the economy down, the more we cut trees more hours makes the economy longer Working grows. even if inequality and The economy can grow grow. poverty increase. welfare of a nation can scarcely be inferred from a welfare of a nation can scarcely be inferred for “more” measurement of national income…Goals growth should specify of what and for what.” wrong message from our current measures of measures our current from message wrong primarily on economic based which are progress, by changes in as measured statistics growth (GDP). All of us— Domestic Product the Gross politicians, economists, journalists, and the general the public—have been completely hooked on with well illusion that equates economic growth was not the intention This being and prosperity. Simon Kuznets, the GDP. of those who created warned its principal architect, 40 years ago: values and human needs? is that we have all been getting the One reason without crime. We all value a clean environment with with environment clean a value all We crime. without need We oceans. and lakes soils, forests, healthy relax to time and communities, strong health, good security economic want We potential. our develop and and less poverty. insecurity, No political party officially favours greater crime, stress, or more a degraded environment, Why have we not ordered poverty and inequality. with our shared our policies and priorities in accord principles of a decent society. These duly extend to to extend duly These society. decent a of principles progress. genuine signify would that benchmarks the society safe and peaceful a in live to want all We Genuine Progress Index Index Progress Genuine Nova Atlantic, GPI (GPI), Canada Scotia, consensus remarkable a is There fundamental the on divisions political all across 38 Politics 3 2 1 from thischapter. Key Points we wish tomake 2011 through a“round table”investigation. forward UKTrust bytheCarnegie anditspartnersin for progress. InScotlandthisworkwillbetaken more intelligentandinclusivemeasuringtools number ofcountriesaround theworldtobuild Staff from GPIAtlanticare nowworkingina

profoundly politicaldecisions. knowledge isvaluedandincludedare How knowledgeisr process. need tobeconsidered in thescalingup key politicalandlogisticalchallengeswhich successes. Howeverthere are anumberof National policiesar improve wellbeingandare costefficient. locally’; the point is to redesign services that & individualscontractingand‘doingthings The pointisn’ t justtogetcommunitygroups e ofteninspired bylocal epresented andwhose and asset-buildingincommunities. section alsocoversissuesaround assettransfer true potentialasindividualsandcommunities.This is, indefiningwhoweare andhowwefulfilour and outlinejusthowimportanttheplacewelive In thefinalsectionofthisreport weaddress Place Place 39 approach sees approach People and tangible assets appreciating assets An people at the heart of communities – they of both the intangible and core at the are Therefore tangible assets of a community. of physical when we speak of the role it assets such as buildings in communities, that buildings in and needs to be recognised communities. of themselves do not create The ownership of tangible assets such as buildings is helpful in communities only if they leverage the development of intangible assets and help to build communities. build Buildings can be important if they are people, and in turn on and from help to grow communities the of resources and power the built. in which they are Figure 14: Figure explore the range of options open to communities options open to communities the range of explore the ‘asset transfer become known as in what has have asset-based approaches debate’. Indeed, the development synonymous with almost become The underpinning ‘people of land and buildings. these initiatives work is power’ which makes In this section of the report sometimes underplayed. in the developments we will look at recent therefore of role and then the essential field of asset transfer, assets in making a success tangible and intangible schemes. out of asset transfer Appreciating ’ sung by Coope, Homeland Boulder, CO: Westview Press CO: Westview Boulder, Teaching the commons: place, pride, and the the and pride, place, commons: the Teaching 45 ’ approach, we consider it important to ’ approach, Theobald, P (1997) renewal of community

45 a fraction of what might comprise an ‘ Assets woodlands and coasts is therefore of critical woodlands and coasts is therefore importance to the health of communities. When of these people have a stake in the stewardship likely that the assets will be it is more resources, It is not surprising, therefore, valued and nurtured. that the debate about ownership, management of tangible assets has assumed higher and control times. Whilst only one component visibility in recent and of the range of assets available to a community, Paul Theobald buildings, Access to the tangible assets of land and and communities. When people just ‘reside in’ and communities. When people just ‘reside do not rather than ‘live in’ a place and when they they participate, they do not feel they belong and if the place is degraded. do not care commit ‘Placelessness erodes our ability to as a to anything other than self-interest and, by result, we have become a society marked to few allegiances and almost no propensity shoulder mutual obligations’ We are beginning to appreciate just how important beginning to appreciate are We and the place we live is in defining who we are how we fulfil our true potential as individuals Over working days and idle, to the land Over working days that gives you meaning that were and family, Back to the friends never meant to part Lester Simpson ‘ Boyes and Simpson Over joy and over heartache, to a place Over joy and over that glads the heart Place sad lives, lives, sometimes Over glad are streaming North East the clouds 40 Place approach. is afundamentalpartofour‘ Building connections between people and place about their place can be just as big a revelation. For adults, rediscovering just what is special invigorating, challengingandrooted inreal places. the curriculumfortomorrow’s children willbe stewards oflocalassets.He offers real hopethat members infuture, ableto betheguardians and become effective, creative andactivecommunity building blocksthatchildren neediftheyare to It seemsthathehasarticulatedavisionofthe » » » 46 to theplaceIbelong…” “Take mehome countryroads, three characteristicsofplace-based learning: –acurriculumforthefuture.learning Heidentifies educator, Coleman,inpromoting place-based Will have beenimpressed withtheapproach takenby place iswithchildren andyoungpeople.We Maybe agoodplacetostartreconnecting with liveable, sustainableandconnected. to placeisakeypartofbuildingcommunitiesthat growing recognition thatplaceandthereconnecting ‘ of ‘place-based’approaches topracticeis.An approaches withinsocialpolicyandtheevolution particularly newbutrecognition ofplaced-based A focusonplaceincommunitydevelopmentisnot Place: TheNextFrontier? Appreciating Assets

30th November2010.) carnegieuktrust.org.uk – AReporttoCarnegie UKTrust’ Coleman, W(2009) outside theclassroom) Skills (collaboration,challenge,cr interdependence, responsibility, globalisation) Sustainability (natur justice, equalityanddiversity, internationalism) Citizenship (community ‘Place Based Learning ’ approach takesheedofthe (accessed on e study, ecology, , regeneration, social

www. Appreciating Assets

eativity, life 46

’ of acommunitywhere the onlycivicorcommunity what isthoughtofaspossible.We recently heard sense ofwhatthecommunityisandcanshape buildings. Certainlytangibleassetscancreate a community’s distinctiveenvironments oressential traditions; oritmaybemore tangibleattributes–a place –stories,celebrations,people’s energies, a place.Thismaycentre onintangibleaspectsof an appreciation ofwhatisreally importantabout way ofcommunicatingcanverysoongenerate good placetolive’looklikegoingforward? This that getscreative juicesflowing.Whatdoes‘a they neededtomeet,inconvivialsurroundings where peoplemeettheydidnotknow place theylive.Rather, itcanbeinformalgatherings, do notallowpeopletothinkdifferently aboutthe and townhallscanbesterileenvironments that meetings are usuallyrunwillnotdoit.Boardrooms We are convincedthatthewayconsultation Achieving thisambitionisnotaseasyitsounds! because ofthisviewthe‘place’. that were impliedorimposed onlocalpeople him growing upandthesorts ofcivicexpectations one oftheresidents reflected onwhatthismeantfor spaces were apolicestation andalawcourt, Place 41 http://renewnewcastle.org can shape the sorts of events and activities that no civic spaces are there take place (so where such as halls, it is difficult for indoor community of gatherings to take place). The built environment in how our communities can play an important role few are our communities work and develop. If there that vary from property to property. In most cases: In most to property. property that vary from the property to provide owner agrees the property use for it for a nominal sum until they have a better Renew Newcastle 30 day agreement); (with a rolling insurance (always hold the relevant to agrees including public liability insurance but in some insurances), cases this could include some property of the space and act as a contribute to taking care occupier manager of the space or spaces; and the keep the space clean and presentable, to agrees there pay all outgoings associated with them being gas and electricity bills), to keep it (such as water, of the building and to take care open as required, cancel until the owner wants it back. Any party can is notice. There with the appropriate the agreement something in it for everyone. Learn at more a community meets The places and spaces where and gathers for various activities form a key part of the fabric that makes up community life. In some communities the spaces and places in which people can meet to engage in various activities Importantly Renew Newcastle legally doesn’t legally doesn’t Renew Newcastle Importantly a license but rather negotiates lease the buildings that allows the projects (a contract) agreement used is that them. The analogy often to access for similar terms as those Renew Newcastle asks puts a mobile phone tower used when someone the right to access it on a building – or a billboard terms. Legally, on agreed for a particular purpose does not trigger the statutory this is important as it on and responsibilities obligations, rights, costs go with a lease and are either party that would the for this purpose. As a result not required owner much easier for the property are agreements asks for a lot less in the way as Renew Newcastle causes a lot less in the way of rights (and therefore of hassles) than a normal leaseholder would. and owner, Renew Newcastle, the property Legally, all parties to a license agreement are the project responsibilities that clearly specifies each party’s ongoing and temporary. Renew Newcastle does not ongoing and temporary. try to permanently occupy buildings but seeks only are All projects empty. to use them while they are temporary – although some can and do inherently continue indefinitely – which means that the Renew Newcastle is not suited to building permanent arts or facilities. It works best as a means infrastructure of incubating new ideas and activities rather than for permanent projects. Although founded as an independent, both State Although founded as an independent, both and Local government now support it. A key feature is that it is of the Renew Newcastle approach not match their way of working. By putting in place not match their way of working. By putting to these spaces access that brokered a structure nearly cheaply Renew Newcastle was able to bring and enterprises – both projects 40 new creative in the first temporary and ongoing – back to the city 12 months. date Renew Newcastle has worked directly To owners and not through with private property government or with government-owned buildings. while there were high levels of vacancies it was still were while there vacant spaces as the comparably difficult to rent and the terms available did prohibitive costs were was attracting vandalism, violence and street crime violence and street was attracting vandalism, open in areas to reluctant were and new businesses of visible decline. that had been in a spiral company not for profit Renew Newcastle, a some limited by guarantee, was founded to make to of these spaces available on an interim basis enterprises and community groups. artists, creative that reported entrepreneurs Artists and creative the globe, Newcastle was experience decline in the the globe, Newcastle of empty spaces The sheer volume old city centre. the point had reached (150 visibly empty buildings) self-perpetuating. It the decline had become where Renew Newcastle, Newcastle, Renew Wales, New South Australia cities across Like many regional 42 Place wealthier communities? between disadvantagedcommunitiesand condition andownershipofassets Are there anydifferences inthenature, disadvantage? have inrelation tolevelsofcommunity What influencedoesownershipofassets assets tobecelebrated? communities havetangible Do really disadvantaged Question recent years. both atacommunitylevelandinpolicycircles over level issomethingthathasgainedprominence gather. Thisownershipofassetsatacommunity own theplacesandspacesinwhichtheymeet communities themselvescanmanageandeven can leadtodebatesanddiscussionsabouthow save aspaceintheformoftangibleasset.This prompts acommunitytotakeactioncreate or of closure. Itisoftenanimpendingcrisisthat not responsive tolocalneedormaybeatrisk neglected, ormaybecontrolled inwaysthatare Sometimes communityspacesmayhavebeen community engages. this canhaveanimpactonthewaysinwhich that existcannotcaterforcommunityinterests, then members ofacommunityorthetypesspaces buildings thatexistare inaccessibletosome places where peoplecanmeetorthecommunity perspective ofthecommunityitself. island ofEiggisincludedhere, examinedfrom the by privatesectorlandlords. Acasestudyfrom the historical injusticesandtheneglectofcommunities purchases were undertakenprimarilytoaddress and theKnoydartPeninsula.Thesecommunityland the AssyntcommunityfollowedbyIsleofEigg community landbuy-outsinthe1990s;firstby Ahead ofthegameinScotland,there were early buildings bycommunities. focus across theUKonacquisitionoflandand of PublicAssets’inMay2007signalledagrowing Review ofCommunityManagementandOwnership The publicationof‘MakingAssetsWork: TheQuirk Management Transfer, Ownershipand Community Buildings:Asset Building Communityand Place 43 commemorates the island’s historic buy-out in in buy-out historic island’s the commemorates Isle the in partners their and islanders the by 1997 comprises Trust The (IEHT). Trust Heritage Eigg of the (ERA), Association Residents’ Eigg members: 3 Trust Wildlife Scottish the and (HC) Council Highland regional local, combines, therefore trust The (SWT). for the benefit of all. and conservation interests of Eigg worked After the buy out, the residents in the the movement that resulted to support hard passed by Land Reform (Scotland) Act 2003 being the the Scottish Parliament. Both with and without of acres use of this legislation, nearly half a million held in the country – 2% of the landmass – is now groups. community ownership via 200 community has established a The Isle of Eigg Heritage Trust number of community-based organisations and including a unique scheme to bring reliable, projects In the electricity supply to all residents. renewable its carbon the community has reduced process emissions by over 80%. Their work has been including the in a number of awards recognised in the million and a share (2010) Ashden Award Challenge 2010. pound prize in the Big Green The Isle of Eigg— The Isle Buy-Out Community Land of Private century, 20th the of part early the In Mallaig in the lies 12 miles off the Isle of Eigg, which and used as a recreational Scottish Hebrides, was sale of the island in the 1960s sporting estate. The with successive a long period of instability, ushered or nothing to maintain the owners who did little island a strong necessary to support infrastructure newcomers many By the 1980’s community. islanders in the task of had joined the indigenous the community. rebuilding who owner, then the with clashes repeated After the artist, German eccentric an Maruma, to Eigg sold campaign. islanders embarked in 1997, on a buy-out pier the at pillar lava old year million 60 The

http://www.dtascot.org.uk / Community assets / Making assets work: Making assets work: development.co.uk/readmore.html Community Asset Building paper: Foresters http://www.foresters.org.au/Publications.aspx Community Assets – an Insiders Guide: Growing www.hie.co.uk/support-for-communities/ community-assets/ http://www.dta.org.uk Report: Petra Vergunst http://www.sustainablecommunity Quirk Report: – Communities and The Quirk Review Department for neighbourhoods – Local GovernmentCommunities and Joseph Rowntree: Foundation Joseph Rowntree Association : Development Trust some recommended reading about asset ownership ownership asset about reading recommended some England, Scotland, around from management and Wales and Ireland, and the world: Resource Recap Resource been have reviews and reports Many explore that years recent in released management and ownership the is Here communities. by assets of The Community Land Unit was established by Question Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE) in 1997 to

Place increase the role of communities in the ownership and management of land assets for the benefit of How can land and buildings be harnessed for community the community. Between 2001-2006, the Scottish benefit? Can these benefits Land Fund distributed £15 million of Lottery money only be harnessed if the community has to small communities with a population of under legal ownership of the land and buildings? 10,000 in the HIE area. The 2003 Land Reform Under what conditions could the benefits Act, giving communities the right to buy land and be maximised without the costs and buildings in certain circumstances, provided a key responsibilities of legal ownership? legislative boost. This legislation allows voluntary organisations to establish an interest in land or In 2009, the Development Trust Association, buildings, either public or privately owned. If that Scotland received funding from the Scottish asset comes up for sale then they have the first Government to deliver the ‘Promoting Asset refusal, subject to a community ballot. From 2006, Transfer’ programme. The principal purpose of Big Lottery made £50million available throughout this project is to “increase levels of awareness Scotland through the ‘Growing Community Assets’ and interest within local authorities as a means fund. This funding provided technical advice and of increasing community ownership of assets”. support for asset acquisition and development. Asset transfer is a central plank of the Scottish Although the headline catching land buyouts in Government’s Community Empowerment Action 47 the Highlands are well known, the Land Unit also Plan (CEAP) . supported smaller scale purchase. Elsewhere in the UK, funding streams have been An important evaluation of this Scottish experience established to support communities in buying of asset acquisition is now underway; SQW have assets, particularly from local authorities. For been commissioned to undertake a thorough example, The Big Lottery Fund is working in evaluation of the ‘Growing Community Assets’ fund partnership with the Welsh Assembly Government that will be completed by 2013. This will look at the to deliver a £13 million Community Asset Transfer economic impact of funded projects, the resulting Programme. In Northern Ireland, there has been a income generation and community enterprise concentration on investment in community halls. development, the sustainability of activities and an In England too, there has been a growing interest analysis of the process that projects go through in the ownership, management, or control of assets from initially identifying the asset through to by the community. Steve Wyler of the Development acquisition, ownership or other arrangements (for Trusts Association (DTA) has published an excellent example leasing) and management of the asset history of Community Asset Ownership and he to identify the key factors that support successful reminds us that this is not an entirely new idea! community ownership. Carnegie UK Trust invited From common land to the co-operative movement, Professor Jim Hunter, from his unique perspective the Land Settlement Association to residential as the former Director of the Scottish Crofters Union Settlements, communities have sought to manage and former Chairman of Highlands and Islands land for wider community benefit and these early Enterprise, to reflect upon impact of land reform examples provide inspiration for modern day and community buy-outs on Highlands and Islands developments such as Community Land Trusts. communities in a presentation to the Scottish The DTA itself was established in 1992 to support Festival of Politics and in a publication due 2011. community based, multi-purpose Development Trusts, many based in small towns.

47 CEAP www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/2009/03/20155113/0 (accessed 16th Nov 2010)

44 Place The Market Towns Initiative instigated by the Here are a few examples: Countryside Agency in 2002 provided support s¬ In India communities talk of ‘people’s for selected towns to undertake ‘health checks’ institutions’, which are tangible assets owned by and the drawing up of action plans. Although the and for communities and where natural assets scheme faltered in some parts of the country when such as forests and watersheds are managed responsibility for the initiative passed to Regional by communities (see for example, Gram Vikas in Development Agencies, sufficient momentum Orissa, www.gramvikas.org). had been built in market town communities for s¬ In the United States there is a long history of community asset management, not least as a building the wealth of poorer communities by investing in assets, and more recently there has mechanism to raise income for community benefit. been links made between community ownership 48 The Asset Transfer Unit (ATU), delivered by the of assets and individual asset building . There Development Trusts Association with Community have also been explorations of how residents can invest in their own community assets (see Matters and the Local Government Association, for example The Jacobs Neighbourhood Centre funded by the Department for Communities and for Neighbourhood Innovation and its work Local Government, was established in 2009. Like pioneering a Community Development Initial the Scottish Land Unit, the ATU provides expert Public Offering (IPO) so that residents could own advice concerning the transfer of under-used land shares in a new neighbourhood asset). and buildings from the public sector to community s¬ In Australia social investors are investing in ownership and management and helping the purchase of community assets to build organisations to develop those assets and deliver the sustainability of communities and the long-term social, economic and environmental organisations who work in them (see Foresters benefits. In parallel with the development of the Community Finance, www.foresters.org.au). ATU, the Community Assets Programme, funded by the Office of the Third Sector and managed by the Big Lottery Fund, will distribute £30m to support the transfer of assets from local authorities to the third sector for community benefit.

Internationally too, the ownership of tangible community assets has both a long and a newer history. There are literally hundreds of examples of community assets around the world. They take many forms and have evolved in different ways.

48 Thomas, H. and Shapiro, T. (2008),

45 46 Place the moneyforinsurance–andwecontinueto important toitsfuture. Andsothevillageraised decided thatcommunalownershipofthehallwas community withtheoptions–and take place?Intheendtrusteescameto accessibility andthesortsofactivitiesthatcould the costbetolocalcommunityintermsof – couldtheytakeoverthefacility?Whatwould hall. There were discussionswiththelocalcouncil afford tomaintainandsustainthecommunity that thecommunitywouldnolongerbeableto theinsuranceincreases thereWith wasconcern have spacesandplacesforcommunityactivities. to takemattersintotheirownhandsiftheywere to remote from centres localgovernment –whichhad used frequently incommunities whichwere alittle of thecommunity. Thiswasamethodthat community resource, ownedbytrusteesonbehalf resident whohadpassed on, anditwasbuiltasa about through abequestto thecommunityfrom a built bythecommunityforcommunity. Itcame hall wasbuiltinthecommunityover50yearsago: owns andisresponsible for thehallanyway’?The it raisedformanypeoplethequestionof‘who keep communityspacesopen.Inour not beingabletopaytheinsurancesnecessary community organizationsfacedthepossibilityof Australia rose steeply–so steeplyinfactthatmany liability insurancepricesforcommunityspacesin forced tothinkaboutthis.After2001thepublic building. Howeverafewyearsagowewere it continuestofunctionasasafeandsustainable think abouthowthehallgottobethere orhow and workshops.Insomewayswedon’t often there are communityfunctions,events,parties have allourimportantcommunitymeetings,where in theparks–buthallisplacewhere we places –intheschool,eachother’s homes, of ourcommunallife.Certainlywemeetinother community hallisattheheart 25km from thenearest town,the In mycommunity, whichisavillage Australia Letter from Victoria, the present andinthefuture. what impactsthathasforourcommunities,bothin helpful tothinkaboutwhoownstheseplacesand gathering places?No,ofcoursenot.Butitcanbe spaces andplacesthatserveasourcommunal the hallwhere wegather. Doweneedto‘own’the also, thecommunitywouldbealotpoorer without of sharing.Itisnothingwithoutthepeople,but our community–intimesofcelebration,need, building’? No,ofcoursenot.Itisaspacethatholds our communitywhohavepassedon.Isit‘justa where weheldmemorialservicesformembersof celebrated thebirthofourfriend’s children; itis my weddingreception inthathall.Itiswhere we It holdsaveryspecialplaceinourlives–Ihad to allowthishappenourcommunityhall. accessibility ofassetsdecline.We are notprepared other communitiescloseddown.We’ve seenthe with owningthatasset.We’ve seenotherhallsin raise themoneyforthisandallcostsassociated s¬ s¬ s¬ centre particularlyon: organisations andcommunitiesthemselves.These point tosomekeybenefitsforbothcommunity of assets,manythecasestudiesandreports benefits ofcommunitymanagementandownership Though itishard togenerate real evidenceforthe base forlong-termcommunityplanning. community; increased communityprideinplace; assets; buildingsenseofempowermentand for localparticipationinmanagementof Social Capitalbenefits:increased opportunities enhancement ofenterprisingopportunities. across andaround thecommunityassets; economies; improved value ofland/buildings for andincreased flowofresources intolocal and/or regenerating local economies; support Economic benefits:contributiontowards growing income overtime. through equity;decreased dependenceongrant community andorganisationalbalancesheets asset, particularlyunrestricted income;building Financial benefits:generationofincomefrom the Place Some of the research, however, suggests that it consideration of whether ownership is the most is not just ownership of assets that can produce effective way to realise and leverage benefits centres on these benefits. After examining a number of five key issues (as summarised in the diagram below). community asset development processes, Petra As a consequence of the financial crisis and the Vergunst (2009) raises some questions that should resulting squeeze of public sector finances, there is be considered by communities weighing up the likely to be increasing pressure on local authorities benefits of ownership over other arrangements: and other public bodies to realise their assets: to dispose of redundant land and buildings and to pass “The question whether legal ownership of over facilities that represent a drain on resources land and buildings is needed to actually because they are not in the category of ‘statutory achieve benefits from land and buildings responsibilities’. The intention to devolve service is not a straightforward one. Ownership delivery to local communities (and in some cases certainly has benefits, but the development of common property, co-managed and the physical assets in which they are based) is likely leased assets has too. Which exactly are to continue to be a clear political platform into the the benefits that can only be achieved future, as it not only reduces costs but also offers through community ownership of land and greater levels of community responsibility in making buildings? Ownership involves considerable decisions about local futures. Asset building is not, financial and managerial responsibilities and however, only a ‘top-down’ decision nor a political it is unlikely that every community is willing platform. Many communities are increasingly and has the capacity to respond to those interested in community ownership of assets and in responsibilities. Do these responsibilities the right of communities to secure ownership of key actually weigh up to the added benefits of facilities such as the shop or pub. It seems likely that community ownership?” 49 many more communities will assume responsibility for physical assets – land and buildings, over the A review of literature on asset ownership and coming years. And the motivation for this can be management and our action research suggests that either one generated from community members the development of community assets and themselves or it can be a political decision (or indeed a combination of the two!).

Figure 15: Key community considerations for Asset Ownership and Management

Use What will the asset be used for and who will use it, and how will ownership affect this?

Benefits Motivation Control What community benefits can be What is it that motivates or Who controls the asset and what leveraged through the asset and triggers asset building in can be done with it and how does how will ownership of the asset communities? ownership influence this control? influence or shape this?

Costs What are the costs (financial, social, human, environmental) involved in maintaining the asset? Who pays? What does ownership mean for who pays and how?

49 Vergunst, P (2009) ‘How many cards to hold? The benefits of community asset ownership and management’ www. sustainablecommunitydevelopment.co.uk/readmore.htmlpgs 8 and 9 (Accessed on 29th Nov 2010) 47 The key motivations for exploring greater community election). The very process of advertising and selling involvement with assets (whether through ownership surplus assets happens on such a tight timescale that

Place or other means) or can be summarised as follows: community groups may find it impossible to raise the requisite capital in time to compete in such sales.

Figure 16: Motivations of partners It is also the case, however, that communities need to engage in some rigorous decision-making about whether or not asset ownership is the best way Local Communities forward – will it help to achieve the things that are Government important for the community, what will it really cost to own and maintain the asset, and what can it help To make programme To utilise a community to leverage in the community that is not possible and services more asset for a specific under current circumstances? In addition, it can be sensitive community purpose important to examine the consequences if others own the assets – and understand how this can impact on To raise a capital flows of energy and resources into communities. To re-open a receipt for the community facility or public body “Communities can use their assets to develop to avoid closure of a local facilities, economic regeneration, a community facility sense of community, community self-esteem To maintain a facility and empowerment, and an increased self To increase which public bodies determination. Whereas these benefits can be community can no longer justify achieved regardless of whether a community involvement owns the asset or not, ownership of land and buildings may increase the sustainability To develop To allow access to of the facilities, the community’s capacity to sources of funding enterprising means generate own income, the strength of the for addressing which would not otherwise be available vision that steers the community project local issues and and the community’s control over decisions building community (i.e. to the local in relation to the asset” (Petra Vergunst, sustainability authority) 2009;pp8-9)50

Often when we think about management of assets, Although there has been much rhetoric about asset there are two key possibilities for communities transfer, there is sometimes reluctance within local and community organisations. One is to lease a authorities to ‘sell off the family silver’. Public bodies building from an owner. The other is to own the do have to ensure that holdings of property, plant and building as a community organisation. It seems like equipment are kept under constant review, with a view a simple proposition – either we lease, or we own: to disposing of surplus assets as quickly as possible. but actually when we look at the role of assets in Public bodies can, under some circumstances, communities it is much more complex than this. sell assets below market prices, but there is some Leasing a building means entering into a legal confusion about the application of this power. In agreement with the landlord and paying an agreed England, for example, the Royal Institution of Chartered upon sum of money for an agreed upon time for Surveyors has drawn up guidance on the General the privilege of occupying the building. However, to Consent for Local Authorities 2003 – ‘the disposal of whom we pay that money is actually an important land at less than best consideration’. Often elected question in terms of examining how the asset can councillors are not confident of the ability of community be used to foster community development. This groups to manage the asset and fear that the general also determines the flows of resources that are public will criticise any decision that might not maximize necessary to sustain and maintain the asset – and income for the council (with consequences at the next

50 Vergunst, P. (2009) How Many Cards to Hold? The Benefits of Community Asset Management and Ownership, available from: www.sustainablecommunitydevelopment.co.uk (accessed 15th Nov 2010) 48 Place Figure 17: Key Questions for Evaluating Leasing as an Asset Option51

Under what conditions?

How is it building Private Landlord our sustainability?

Leasing Social Landlord From whom?

What are our Public Landlord long term plans?

importantly whether and how these resources can financial sustainability in organisations. be used for community development. Investment in making an asset such as a building Some of the questions that could be asked about sustainable from an environmental perspective may leasing are outlined in Figure 17 and further not be a priority for an owner. Organisations or discussed below. community tenants may not be able to or keen to invest their own savings into sustainability of such Leasing – under what conditions? buildings – particularly if their security of tenure in a The costs and conditions of leasing can influence leased building is unclear. whether and how an asset can leverage benefits From a financial perspective, leasing assets can be for communities, organisations or groups in a beneficial for tenant organisations or community community. If the conditions are too restrictive groups – but only if there is some thought given (i.e. no changes to make a building fit-for-purpose to the long-term future of the asset and the are allowed) or the costs too prohibitive, then it organisation’s future within the asset. Sometimes becomes less likely that benefits will flow from the ownership of an asset lies in the hands of more leasing assets. Conditions that enable innovation benevolent entities who offer very low or token cost and flexibility, one the other hand, and which give lease contracts (such as is sometimes the case with organisations and communities a degree of security public authorities) – and this can enable smaller or around their tenure may well mean that many less well off groups to access affordable space for benefits can be leveraged from the leasing of an their operations. However, it can also be important asset. to use such opportunities to plan ahead – what if Leasing – how is it building our the owner suddenly raised their lease costs or, if sustainability? ownership changed for some reason, or the asset was to be used for other purposes? An organisation Leasing an asset can promote a degree of focus and a community which has planned for shifts and on the ‘here and now’ rather than encouraging changes in assets and asset ownership can make long-term thinking and planning52. This can have better use of a leased asset than those who take implications for both environmental sustainability of asset status quo for granted! assets and the ways in which assets can promote

51 Foresters Community Finance (forthcoming), Community Asset 52 See for example the work of Foresters Community Finance in Building: Working towards sustainability in the community sector, Australia (www.foresters.org.au) who have been exploring how Foresters Community Finance, Brisbane. asset ownership can promote long-range planning for sustainability.

49 50 Place s¬ be importanttoknowabout: from the asset; and plan for various scenarios. It can align this with the impacts that could be generated costs and flows of resources around a community; and for what purpose can help a community to track current and future uses. Knowing who owns an asset who owns the asset and what this means both for community benefit it can be important to understand When an asset is leased from someone for Leasing –from whom? Figure 18: Private Landlord: Where anentityownsthe Social Landlord: commercial purposes private citizenorcompanyfor Pros The Property isownedby a Who istheLandlord? government bodies. government either through localornational maintained bytheState– The property isownedand Public Landlord: community asset. ensuring itisandremains a property forthepurposeof public landlord; social landlord (seeFigure 18below)ora Whether theownerisaprivatelandlord; a Types ofLandlord suits socialserviceorganisations. asset forpublicpurposeswhich abouttheuseof concerned The publicownerisusually space. most affordable rents forthe Stability oftenure. Usuallythe asset generatessocialimpact. community andtoensure thatthe Commitment ofthelandlord to purpose’. and refitting sothatitis‘fit for Potential fornegotiatingcosts Stability oftenure. property inthelocalarea. the provisions needed to occupy a organisation is acutely aware of property means that the community Paying commercial rents for a Greatest choiceofproperties. s¬ s¬ s¬ that time?). maintenance orcommunityusenowandat redevelop asite,thenwhatwillthatmeanfor its current use(i.e.Iftheaimeventuallyisto of impactsdothelongtermplanshavefor later communityownership?Andwhatsorts theresold inthefuture? beoptionsfor Will commitment totheasset?Isitlikelybe relation totheasset–isthere along-term What thelonger-term goaloftheownerisin for communityuses; to maintaining,restoring orrefitting theasset What levelofcommitmenttheownerhas community purposes; community andtotheuseofassetfor What commitmenttheownerhasto Cons vulnerable position. the COscanbeplacedinavery to divestthemselvesoftheasset organizations, soiftheydecide or capacityofcommunity with buildingthesustainability public landlord isnotconcerned Though affordable, oftenthe their cost/benefit. assets are beingscrutinizedfor Increasingly publiclyowned over aperiodoftime. ‘invest’ intheasset–maintainit landlord hasthecapacity to Need toensure thatthesocial a permanentsituation. local assets,itmaynotalwaysbe timeframe overwhichtheyown Social landlords mayhave a in whethertheycanpaytherent! sustainability oftheCO–merely necessarily interested inthe Commercial landlords are not informal groups. accessible forsmallerCOsor Commercial rents are not Place Leasing – what are our long-term plans? and strategy can be helpful in making decisions Having an idea about what long-term space and about what kind of relationship an organisation place plans are for an asset such as a building can needs to have with tangible assets. help a group to make decisions about ownership In addition, an anchor organisation53 that has a and whether leasing could be a beneficial option. long-term commitment to a particular community What works as a space for organisations and would clearly have a very different perspective community groups at a particular time in their about how assets could embed them in a place development may not be suitable for them at than would an organisation that has a regional another time. Thinking about growth, reach, impact focus or a commitment to impacting a particular issue such as health or arts.

Idea of a social landlord are many roads to ownership, and each of them can have implications Although in the UK social landlords are mainly for what people benefits can be government funded not-for-profit organisations leveraged from an asset and what focused on affordable housing (such as housing the costs are to the community and associations, trusts or cooperatives), in Australia there organisations involved. Figure 19 is another kind of social landlord, one focused on below outlines these questions, which are then also community assets. They are trustees of community briefly examined below. assets such as halls, neighbourhood centres, civic centres or recreation spaces. They bring private investment to bear so that the assets can be Figure 19: Key Questions for Evaluating purchased and then leased back to the community Leasing as an Asset Option54 organisations, with a commitment to work with these organisations over a period of time to build their capacity and a financial framework for ongoing Asset Transfer community ownership of the asset. They invest in the asset to ensure that it remains a community asset. Purchase The investors in the asset expect a blended return – Using what some financial return but also a social or community process? Gradual return for their investment. Foresters Community Equity Finance is currently working on a number of social Under what Purchase landlord models and developing conditions? the frameworks of capacity building that will ensure than Ownership What can be Co-ownership the assets that are purchased leveraged benefit the communities in from this which they exist for a long time to come. ownership?

Sometimes a community may decide that the best How do way to protect or to derive benefit from an asset we ensure such as a building is to work towards ownership of sustainability that asset. Just as leasing raises many questions over time? for consideration, so does ownership. Indeed there

53 Anchor organisations: “are independent community led organisations 54 Foresters 2010 with multi-purpose functions, which provide a focal point for local communities and community organisations, and for community services” (www.localpeopleleading.co.uk) 51 52 Place Figure 20: ownership are outlinedin Figure 20below. development. Thesedifferent processes for asset ownershipinthecontextofcommunity the different processes thatare availablefor It isimportantinthefirstinstancetoexplore community. which assetsbecome‘owned’andmanagedbya and neitheristhere onlyoneprocess through is nosinglepathwaytowards assetownership, current ownersandthebroader community. There reached overaperiodoftime,indiscussionwiththe asset. Othertimesownershipisadecisionthat urgency totakingcontrol andownershipofthe of closure ofanassetandthere isasenseof Sometimes thedecisionisprecipitated byathreat reasons, andunderarangeofcircumstances. ownership isthebestoptionformanydifferent Communities cometothedecisionthatasset Ownership: Usingwhatprocess? responsibility fortheasset toa lease, suchas99yearlease)and Transfer (orverylong-term ofTitle Transfer Key Issues/Challenges Type ofownershipprocess of anasset. Joint ownershiporco-ownership Cooperative Ownership of equityintheassetovertime. instruments toenablethepurchase Use ofparticularlegalandfinancial Gradual EquityPurchase via aloan. Purchase oftheassetusually Purchase community organisation. Ownership Processes s¬ s¬ s¬ s¬ s¬ s¬ s¬ s¬ s¬ sustain andmaintaintheasset. amongst owninggroups astheywillhavetoworktogether to Requires verysolidrelationships andcommunicationprotocols multiple entitiestoowntheasset; Requires appropriatestructures legalandgovernance toenable adequately sustainedandmaintained. to enablegradualpurchase oftheassetandensure thatitcanbe Requires increasing capacitiesandresources overtimeinorder enable gradualpurchasing ofequity(e.g.UnitTrusts); Requires sympatheticinvestorsandappropriate legalstructures to leveraged from theassettojustifyitspurchase. maintained andthatappropriate returns(financialandsocial)are or committeememberstoensure thattheassetisadequately Demands highlevelsofmonitoringfrom agroup oftrustees of loans; Ensures thatassethassufficient incomepotentialforrepayment be inplace; to diligence, savings,capacitybuildingandgoodgovernance As thisusuallyinvolvesmortgages,there isaneedfordue demands ofassetownership; some capacitybuildingtoensure thattheyare prepared forthe Any committeeexaminingassettransfershouldundertake need tobeundertaken; Careful assessmentofthe asset,costsandpotentialbenefits benefits weenvisage. what needstobeinplaceforassetsdeliverthe can addhelptoexaminewhatcouldworkand other communityexperiencesofassetbuilding resources from andtherightmotivations).Learning a community(havingtherightpeople, sorts ofconditionsthatmakeownershipviablefor costs, themotivationsfortransferorsale),and itself (e.g.itscurrent andfuture maintenance important tohaveaclearpicture bothoftheasset elements’ ofassetownership(seebelow).Itis on –orwhatMcLeanandClunieterm‘bedrock of foundationsassetownershipneedstobebuilt This pointstotheneedconsiderwhatkinds for consideringassetownershipincommunities. notLiability’asakeyfoundationalprinciple ‘Viability The DTA’s AssetTransfer Unitspeaksabout Ownership: Underwhatconditions? Place 53 Key Question Is the asset able to contribute to the of the conservation and preservation local environment? community? Is the asset a contributor to or a venue for cultural development in the community? Can the asset enable the flow of community rather into the resources the from resources than just requiring community? Does the asset contribute to the of social capital in the growing Looking after the most vulnerable members of the most vulnerable Looking after to acquired Many assets are the community: people; for vulnerable positive outcomes secure people, land for therapeutic for older day centres horticulture. s¬ sought or goals that are Articulating the visions asset can the ownership of a community through process help not only in the decision-making is ‘right’ for a particular about whether ownership to hold the process but can also help circumstance, can help to ask some of the to account later on. It helping us the asset really difficult questions: is Willto deliver better services? the asset leverage vulnerable members of our benefits for the most we generating enterprise and community? Are the ownership of income in our community through this asset? One of the key questions that underpin ownership One of the key questions that underpin ownership has of community assets, and that probably latest not been adequately examined since the the UK, is that of wave of asset transfers across Can asset ownership lead to greater sustainability. financial, levels of sustainability – environmental, social and cultural? Ownership: How do we ensure Ownership: How do we ensure sustainability over time? physical assets The financial viability of the asset is sustainable over the long-term, which includes covering costs and generating surpluses. The asset is able to continue to support positive social impacts in a community over the long-term. of space a remains asset The people where diversity and hospitality community the around and across from long-term. the over welcomed, are The asset contributes to ensuring the long term health of the environment its in the long-term by reducing footprint. environmental Sustainable Assets and heritage: community organisations frequently frequently organisations community heritage: and and habitats of restoration the for responsibility take biodiversity secure to land managing sites, historic or access. Building enterprising capacity: Local community Building enterprising capacity: Local community organisations acquiring buildings or renewable energy installations have the potential to in generate income, which can then reinvested new enterprise development. landscape local the maintaining and Preserving Establishing a base in the local area: One of the local area: Establishing a base in a community is a multi- the key facilities within purpose meeting place. to the provided services Securing or improving to a local service community: It is often the threat of the shop or post office) that (such as closure the community to consider ownership. prompts Cultural Economic/Financial Social Environmental Type of SustainabilityType to Definition in relation s¬ in the case studies in this section include: include: section this in studies case the in s¬ s¬ s¬ goal of achieving social justice and addressing poverty poverty addressing and justice social achieving of goal enterprise or employment creating or inequalities and articulated ownership of goals the of Some possibilities. Ownership: What can be leveraged What can be Ownership: ownership? from itself, in end an not is assets of ownership different Community many are There end. an to means a rather, but asset in involved get to communities for motivations broader a address to management: and ownership Figure 21: 21: Figure Back to Basics: Bedrock Elements and People at the Heart of Community Buildings Ownership of assets is not always possible, and it should only be considered if a community has all the

Place ‘bedrock elements’55 of ‘Need, People and Community Backing’ to ensure that an asset can be owned in such a way that it remains an asset and does not become a liability. The resources needed to sustain and maintain an asset owned by a community have been summarised by one group of asset owners as follows:

These elements – both the ‘bedrock’ and ‘operational’ elements are helpful to consider in relation to physical assets no matter what ongoing legal connection a community or organisation has to the asset – leasehold or ownership.

Figure 22: McLean and Clunie’s Bedrock Elements

Need: People: Community Backing: Recognition in the community As trustees of the asset, or As the heart of the asset of the need for the facility to manage the asset As users and renters of the space or service As champions of the asset As supporters of the asset As maintainers of the asset As activators of the asset

The Bedrock Elements

Key elements of Success

The Operational Elements

Governance: Assets: Sustainability: Organisational form operating Development of Ensuring the elements of in a businesslike basis to meet Physical, Social and people assets and finance community needs Human Assets are in balance

55 McLean & Clunie (2009), Steps to Successful Community-Led Service Provision in Rural Areas, Carnegie UK Trust

54 Place 55 for tools, www.communitylandtrusts.org.uk Re-invest growing income from rents where where rents income from Re-invest growing provision; new social and economic available in in the people and organisations Engage local assets; of community and management control spectrum of different Bring together a wide solutions; interdependent partners to produce and services of local Mobilise the goodwill and skilled people. professional Community Land Trust employs a project worker employs a project Community Land Trust hands-on support and advice to any to provide Successful CLTs to set up a CLT. wishing project where include St Minver, with houses on the ground on a phase one consisted of twelve homes built families self-build basis, all for young people and to buy who would otherwise be unable to afford is now considering in their home village. This CLT Network in Now with a National CLT phase three! place, hosted by the National Housing Federation, all the time. is growing the number of CLTs Visit advice and templates s¬ s¬ s¬ s¬ by CFS has supported The work undertaken number CLT growing the development of a can learning lessons so CLTs pioneer projects, (RSLs) Landlords Social sit alongside Registered housing initiatives to and other community-led in intermediate market housing affordable, provide perpetuity. the country, around now spread are projects CLT to Cornwall. Northumberland from For instance, set up a Community Cornwall Rural Housing Trust to cover the whole of Cornwall. This Land Trust The opportunities and responsibilities of asset The opportunities and responsibilities ownership or management, whether through further through leasehold, can be also be explored learning the experiences of communities that from physical assets around own, manage and/or control Some of these communities are the UK and Ireland. 23 overleaf listed in Figure

Attract investment for projects from local from Attract investment for projects as individuals and private companies, as well public and voluntary bodies; Let workshops, offices, agricultural and accommodation at sub-market and residential market rents; Buy, develop and hold land, housing, community Buy, local buildings and services for the benefit of a community; s¬ at prices they can afford, while the value of land, at prices they can afford, benefits subsidies, planning gain and other equity up on behalf of the wider community. locked are In practical terms, CLTs: s¬ s¬ resources, to provide housing, employment, and housing, to provide resources, basis that other accommodation. They work on the services occupiers pay for the use of buildings and to test the CLT idea. Encouraged by the results, in the results, idea. Encouraged by to test the CLT awarded were 2009, CFS and Carnegie UK Trust Empowerment the Government’s from resources development. CLT Fund to progress established in communities to acquire are CLTs local assets and then hold them in perpetuity for basis, raising use. They work on a non-profit and unlocking existing new sources money from Demonstration programme for the Community Land for Demonstration programme and action, Combining research model. (CLT) Trust the country around CFS supported 14 communities Community Community Land Trusts Finance In 2006, Community University Solutions (CFS) at the carried out a National of Salford 56 Place Figure 23: halls and village Community Asset ownership land Community post offices shops and Community ExamplesofCommunityOwnershipTangible assets Examples supermarkets, atcompetitiveprices. post office, is to provide a selection of quality, locally producedthe fare business not generallyand support found community in activities. The aim of the shop, whichThe includes Sulgrave the Village Shop is a not for profit venture with profits reinvestedthe rolling to improve farmland of South Northamptonshire, near the town of BanburySulgrave Village Shopand PostOffice: in England. www.uigandbernera.com supported through the Highlands and Islands Community Energy Company.supply the shop with electricity through small wind turbines and solar Apanels, renewable a venture energy dimension will be incorporated in the coming months to help produce atthesameprices asthoseoffered tothegroup’s supermarketinStornoway. facility was retained for future years. An agreement was struck with situationthe Co-Op sparkedto supply a community drive to secure the premises and ensurestation that a andvital post local office. The shop was in risk of closure because of financialrecently difficulties, added a £500,000this extension to their Community Shop. The shop includesUig CommunityShop: a petrol air source heatpumptothetwomainrooms inthe hall. energy wherever possible. They installed a photovoltaicwork, the systemvillage on hall the committeehall roof lookedthat links to reduce to Forestan ofBowland,Lancashire: their running costs by using renewable events forboththelocalcommunityandoutsidegroups. Programme. The village hall provides a high quality venue for a wide rangemodern ofCommunity activities Resource and Centre, built as part of the lottery funded MillenniumChipping: Halls was set up in 2001 when the latest laird decided to put the island up forScotland sale. andInspired is home by to a community of 156 people. The Isle of Gigha HeritageGigha: Trust million poundprizeintheBigGreen Challenge2010. recognised in a number of awards including the Ashden Award (2010) andthe acommunity share in has the reduced its carbon emissions by over 80%. Their work uniquehas been scheme to bring reliable, renewable electricity supply to all residents.has established In the a numberprocess of community-based organisations and projects Eigg: including a www.north-harris.org generation and conservation measures and several environmental & conservationthey have projects. developed social and rental housing, a community development protectingfund, energy and enhancing North Harris’s wonderful cultural and naturalcommunity heritage. by increasing To employmentdo this opportunities, addressing local housingthe biggest needs, estatesand in community ownership in Scotland. The aim is to buildpurchasing a stronger their land. The North Harris Trust was formed and it nowNorth Harris: manages the one of 1950s. including a walled garden. The village hall has been in community ownershipown and since manage the 47early cottages, four farms, a hotel, quarry, wind farm aand purchase a 54-acre of thegarden, island with support from Highlands & Islands Enterprisevisits (HIE). to the They Isle now of Eigg to learn about their community buy-out, the community organised Since their historic community land buy-out in 1997, the Isle of Eigg Heritage Trust The island of Gigha sits between the Kintyre peninsula and Islay in south-west www.gigha.org.uk Chipping is a village in Lancashire, in the north of England. The Village Hall is a In 2003, the community of North Harris voted overwhelmingly in favour of

The remote community of Uig on the Isle of Lewis in Scotland has When the Barley Village Hall underwent refurbishment www.sulgrave.org Sulgrave is a small village surrounded by www.isleofeigg.net www.chippingvillage.co.uk (linkbroken atthemoment) www.forestofbowland.com

Place 57

contd...

www.theoldcrownpub.co.uk The Old Crown pub is owned by by owned is pub Crown Old The www.caepost.co.uk

Rock, a Cornish surfing resort is reputed to be be to reputed is resort surfing Cornish a Rock, The St Ann’s Allotments are the oldest and and oldest the are Allotments Ann’s St The www.fordhallfarm.com Fordhall Organic Farm, in Market Drayton, Shropshire has has Shropshire Drayton, Market in Farm, Organic Fordhall Cae Post is a pioneering charity and social enterprise, established in in established enterprise, social and charity pioneering a is Post Cae Atlantis Leisure is a ‘best in the region’ facility which is owned and and owned is which facility region’ the in ‘best a is Leisure Atlantis St Minver Community Land Trust: of lack the address To property. buy to world the in places expensive most the of one together came locals interested people, local by purchase and rent for housing affordable twelve 2008, In Trust. Land Community a formed and council parish the of members with An farmer. a by donated land on homes their build helped area Rock the in people local followed on an adjoining site. additional eight bungalows to buy and four to rent Watch a short film documenting the developmenthttp://communitylandtrusts.ning.com of this CLT and others – individual gardens. One exciting feature of St Ann’s is the rich heritage of the Community Community the of heritage rich the is Ann’s St of feature exciting One gardens. individual is project a and identified been have pear and apple of varieties of Hundreds Orchard. holders. allotment other by use for these propagate and identify to underway www.staa-allotments.org.uk Atlantis Leisure: Scotland. of Highlands West the in Oban in based is and community the by operated www.atlantisleisure.co.uk own that organisations based community non-profit are (CLTs) Trusts Land Community housing, on behalf of the community. and manage assets, including affordable Cae Post, Powys: others and disabilities with people to training and experience work provides that 1986, to worked has Post Cae years, eight last the Over market. job the in disadvantaged Council County Powys with partnership In projects. recycling through goal their achieve people. 23 employing Welshpool near centre recycling scale, commercial a run now they the spread to beyond and Powys in communities and schools the with closely work They message of social inclusion and sustainability. Allotments, Nottingham: St Ann’s for them used have People world. the possibly Britain, in gardens town detached largest care take to staff eight employs that group community voluntary a and years 600 least at 670 the manages currently work, their of aspects other and leasing education, the of Fordhall Farm, Shropshire: Fordhall tradition pioneering this continued 2006 In years. 65 over for production organic in been first community-owned farm. by becoming England’s by farmed is which land, the manages now (FCLI) Initiative Land Community Fordhall The Ben and Charlotte Hollins. With tenant partnership, brother/sister its 8000+ shareholders/ events, training, running resource, educational successful a developed has it landlords, etc. workshops, demonstrations Cumbria: Hesket Newmarket, The Old Crown, is it and supporters other and people local hundred one than more of co-operative a first co-operatively owned pub. believed to Britain’s Examples Leisure Leisure Centres, swimming pools Affordable housing Allotments plants Pubs Recycling Farms Asset 58 Place can supporteconomicandsocial wellbeing. importance inunderstandinghow assetmanagement The experienceofthese‘early adopters’ isofcritical energy Renewable Asset centres Health transport broadband, Infrastructure; museums theatres, facilities, Cultural Examples www.galericaernarfon.com conference rooms. theatre/cinema, tworehearsal studios,artspace,bar, café,officesandseveralmeeting/ development for the arts and creative industries in North Wales. Galeri houses a 400 seat Centre at the town’s Victoria Dock. The opening of Galeri in 2005 marked a significant to strength and their work now includes Galeri, the £7.5million Creative Enterprise the town, which are now occupied by tenants. The company has grown from strength the Trust has renovated and refurbished over twenty neglected and vacant properties in task of transforming and refurbishing some of Caernarfon’s biggest eyesores. To date, an independent Town Development Trust in 1992. It began by taking on the challenging empty, Galeri Caernarfon Cyf (formerly known as Cwmni Tref Caernarfon) was set up as As an increasing number of the town’s buildings became neglected, run-down and WalesGaleri, Caernarfon, towns/settle/case-study www.yorkshire-forward.com/improving-places/where-we-live/rural-market- 40 years. The scheme is expected to save 3,200 tonnes of carbon over an expected lifetime of of SettleDistrict. aims of regenerating the local economy and promoting the environmental sustainability surplus revenue is used by the Society to benefit the local community through its twin hydro-power and the Society generates revenue by selling ‘green’ hydro-electricity. Any Electric Scheme. It has installed reverse Archimedes screw technology to generate Benefit of the Community’ with the specific purpose of owning the Settle Weir Hydro Settle Hydro Settle Hydro scheme,NorthYorkshire Shoreditch Trust HealthyLivingCentre, HackneyLondon and builtbyitscommunity. opening of Alston’s ‘Fibremoor’ network, the UK’s first fibre optic network both owned ‘what’s on’ guide, a market place and discussion forums. Achievements include recent Moor. Itactsasasocialandinformationhubforruralresi Alston Cybermoor is a co-operatively run community website for the residents of Alston Alston Cybermoor, Cumbria therapy rooms andacommunitymeetingspace. Maternity Care Centre, office space for partner organisations, three complementary of student housing and community healthcare space including Homerton Hospital’s of over400projects completedoverthepastdecade.Itis assets. The Healthy Living Centre is a community asset owned by the Trust and is one it has developed considerable experience of developing and managing community Since the Shoreditch Trust was set up in 2000 under the New Deal for Communities www.settlehydro.org.uk Scheme was established as an ‘Industrial and Provident Society for the www.cybermoor.org/ www.shoreditchtrust.org.uk dent part s and hosts latest news, a ofamixed-use

scheme

Place 59 Place – and the reconnecting to place – is to place the reconnecting Place – and that are of building communities a key part and connected. liveable, sustainable think about who owns It can be helpful to that serve as our the spaces and places places and what communal gathering have for our communities, impact that might the future. and in both in the present considerable financial Ownership involves and should and managerial responsibilities ‘bedrock’ unless the not be considered Need’, ‘People elements of ‘Demonstrable in place Backing’ are Skills’ and ‘Community elements of ‘Good along side operational Governance’, ‘Development of all Assets’ taken into account. and ‘Sustainability’ are Key Points from this chapter this from Points Key s¬ s¬ s¬ ’ deliver back to the people? Appreciating Assets What impact or benefit does the asset How are people at the core of building the asset? of building the asset? at the core people How are How is the community involved in and with the asset? How is the community involved Impacts of Assets on People 24: Figure buildings from there – but only if the building in turnsin building the if only but – there from buildings leads to benefits for people! How can we ensure that people are at the at are that people How can we ensure of build the asset? core deal of a great has been In this section there we outlined attention given to tangible assets but as section, the skills and talents of in the previous in any a fundamental prerequisite local people are An ‘ successful asset transfer. starts with people and may build towards approach relevant to our own situation? How can to our own situation? relevant learning between and across we share communities? Question Question we know if asset How do What can transfer works? experiences we learn the from that may be of other communities 60 Notes Notes Notes 61 Notes The Carnegie UK Trust works to develop evidence based policy to support beneficial change for people living in the UK and Ireland. The Trust is one of over twenty foundations worldwide endowed by Scots American philanthropist Andrew Carnegie.

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